


The Sixteenth

by mylovelylions



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Dwarf/Elf Relationship(s), Eventual Sex, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Romance, Royalty, Smut, To Read
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-28
Updated: 2020-04-11
Packaged: 2021-02-25 01:08:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 45,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22007470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mylovelylions/pseuds/mylovelylions
Summary: Fili/OC. Dori, Nori and Ori find a baby and take her in.
Relationships: Fíli (Tolkien)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 27
Kudos: 105





	1. Prologue

_I wish I owned the Hobbit but I don't. If I did all these dwarves would be content and living. But they're not. And I don't want to think about that._

_Hope you like it and please favorite/follow and review, review, review. I'm here for you guys so if you don't like it then... I mean, I'm gonna have to take it down. Not a threat just a heads up._

* * *

It was Dori who found her first. A dwarf prided on being on time, he was never late for anything. Including life. Next came Nori, as he always did and then - five or so minutes later after the argument was done between the brothers - Ori would toddle up. Usually, the argument was about Nori's wild ways. How he liked to pickpocket the townsfolk until all three brothers had to leave or be chased out with pitchforks and torches. How Dori needed to stop babying Ori because he was becoming a sniveling little twerp. Common and always ending in a stalemate.

This time it was centered around a baby in the bushes, found just outside a human village.

"She doesn't have a beard," Nori whispered urgently, poking the babe's cheek and sending her into a sniveling mess. It was a motion stemmed from his deep panic. Although he had certainly seen babies before, he didn't particularly like to get close to them. After growing up with a brother like Ori, things with chubby cheeks seemed to be very breakable.

But he was a gentle dwarf through and through and the cry of a baby sent him into an even worse panic from before.

" _Mahalu-me turg,_ " Nori muttered, bobbing from side to side as Dori rocked the babe into hiccups and then slumber. Unlike his brother, Dori was in the constitute of all things soft and polite. He had soothed Ori and Nori from the fiercest fevers and wounds without so much as a flick of his beard.

"But she looks like a dwarf baby," Dori argued back, the tips of his stubby fingers running along the baby's cheeks.

And it was true. She did.

She was sturdy, even as a baby anyone could tell. Her hair was too thick and willy and her body seemed to be too robust to suit that of a human, wizard, elf or such. Not to mention the fact that she fit perfectly into Dori's arms. Hobbits would be smaller and the rest would be too big like giant bobble-headed creatures lulling from a dwarve's arms. No, she was definitely of dwarven heritage but there seemed to be something off…

"She doesn't have a beard," Nori whispered again more urgently this time, his fingers ghosting over her smooth chin and down over her arms and legs. No hair. And the mess of her curls was so red that it glowed through the night like dragon's breath. Dwarves didn't have hair this light - not any kind that either of the brothers had run across. And her eyes - emerald and clear. Not to mention the almost otherworldly white glow of her skin. Just like a-

"Elf," a thin voice said and both Nori and Dori jumped, whipping around to stare at their little brother, his clothes hanging from his shoulders in clumps. Yes. That was it. How could the smallest, youngest and most naive of them be the one to point out the obvious?

"But-" Dori began, dark eyes connecting with his brothers'.

"It can't-" Nori whispered back. Both of them turned to stare down at the bubbling babe, drool rolling down her chin.

It was. An elf. An elf that somehow had dwarven blood running through her veins.

"We can't tell Thorin," Nori said immediately pushing Ori away with a hand to the face as he tried to get a better look at the baby.

"What you speak is treason," Dori responded just as fiercely, flicking Nori in the face until with a soft curse he let go of Ori to swipe away his brother's hand.

"She's so pretty," Ori murmured, oblivious to the chaos around him.

"He'll find out sooner or later anyway," the oldest brother continued, rocking the babe as she gave a slight gurgle, her brows crinkling.

"Later preferably," the middle brother snapped, baring his teeth at his brother before a thought occurred to him and he turned away angrily. "Or more likely, never. She's not our responsibility."

"You would leave her to die?" The thought made all three brothers pause, uncomfortable and clearly shocked at the thought. Although Ori could not remember, Nori and Dori still felt the weight of all that they had lost. Home and family. Now they would let a life so precious wither away in the bushes of a human village. It was a disgusting thought that made their stomach's roll.

"Are you proposing that we take in a half breed? Kin to elves?" Nori whispered back, avoiding the question with a twist to his lips. There was suddenly a very sour taste in his mouth.

Between the two, Ori's eyes grew wide. He was by far the softest of the three brothers, feeling more at home with pen and paper than sword although life had even twisted him in ways. But this baby… His eyes fell on the chubby little thing, swaddled in a knit green blanket, her eyes closed and a mixture of drool and snot rolling down her chin. She was the softest, most adorable thing he had come across. And he couldn't bring himself to hate her.

"I-I cannot in good heart-" Dori started out stubbornly, the muscles of his arms tensing on instinct alone.

"Than we shall leave her with a not-so-good heart," Nori pressed, his teeth gritting.

"You can't," Ori whispered weakly, his hand reaching up to curl in the blanket.

But neither brother heeded him. This is the way of brothers - or at least, these ones. Ori was a pipsqueak and his voice was as soft as his nature.

"A human will-"

"A human raise a dwarf?" Now there was indignation is Dori's eyes, his shoulders rising and his brows knitting together.

"A human raising an elf," Nori clarified, his lips twisting even more as he moved to stare down at the babe sleeping soundly in Dori's arms. The thought was just as distasteful as bringing her back to the Blue Mountains.

"She's still a dwarf," Ori suddenly jumped in, his voice oddly steely. In all the time that Ori had lived, he had only spoken this way to Fili and Kili. And even then it was rare and quickly stomped into submission by the two young princes. "Humans don't know what dwarves need to grow."

It was true. Neither Nori nor Dori had a single word to say in defense. Or - more precisely - if they did, they kept it deep inside, hidden from even themselves. For if they truly wanted to leave the babe, Dori would have never followed the sound of a sniffling wail in the dead of night. He would have never scooped her up and cradled her and smiled down at her. And Nori would have simply tossed her away like a disgusting tissue if he was truly opposed to the idea for he had no inclinations toward politeness when it came to these things.

"We're keeping her," Ori declared, grabbing up the babe and startling her into a fit of hiccups and wailing though he tried to cover it with a stiff nod of authority toward his brothers.

There were no words. Silence held thick in the air, broken only by the whisper of the village behind them. What could the two brothers say when they had never truly intended to let the babe starve or freeze or, even worse, be taken in by humans?

"Give her here, Ori," Dori finally sighed taking the wailing baby from his brother's arms. Which was all for the better since Ori's face was growing rather red, his mind racing with ways to quiet the child. "You'll shake her head off."

With that, Dori strode toward the village, his gate sure as he rocked the babe back into a quiet slumber leaving the youngest dwarf to stare after him in confused wonder. Were they keeping her? Ori didn't understand.

" _Nainkhi, fahini_ ," Nori said gruffly, the only sign of acknowledgment being a rough pat on the head as he followed after his older brother.

The discussion was closed. The first clear ending to a fight that the brothers had or would ever have. They would take the babe in and they would feed her and deal with the wrath of their king when they returned to the mountains. But for now, she was theirs and they had nothing else to think about but her.

* * *

_Khuzdul or the dwarven language:_

_Mahalu-me turg: Aule's beard. (Like our version of for fuck's sake. Kind of.)_

_Nainkhi, fahini: come, tiny._


	2. In a Hole in the Ground

My fingers curled around the spoon sitting beside my steaming bowl of roast. It had been three days that we had been on the road from the forests of Fangorn and I was already tired of the disgusting inns that harbored every sort of creature that inhabited Middle Earth.

"Are we really going to the Shire?" I hissed, my eyes flicking across the crowded inn. It was run by a family of humans who looked like they would sooner put rat poison in the broth than offer a cozy bed to sleep. But the giant wooden tables were all full, the high ceiling offering little escape for the taller creatures that had come to stay the night.

"King's orders," Nori said without a second thought, stew rolling down his chin and into the depth of his beard as he dug into the meal.

My older brother had never been one for following orders. Much less those brought to him by our oldest brother, Dori. I knew it and he knew it. In fact, it would be the easiest for us to refuse the command. We had been scampering across the plains and mountains of Middle Earth for so long that it was astonishing that Dori was even able to get a hold of us. My eyes narrowed on the reddish-brown haired dwarf sitting across from me. The mass of his unruly hair sat up in three different places, spearing out from the sides and top of his head. Breads spiked out from his eyebrows and through his hair, twining through his beard.

There had to be another reason for his eagerness.

"You can't steal from your own kin," I said, my voice low as I saw his fingers slide across the table to deftly nick the pocket watch from the human that had just sat beside us.

"That would be despicable," he agreed, eyeing the scratched surface of the watch. It was ordinary, silver and heavily used. From the inscription on the back, it was from his mother. Hissing out a breath, I snatched it from him and tossed it to the floor. "However, as I see it, we will be going through some very valuable places."

There it was. Sitting back, I glared across the table at him. It was absolutely ridiculous to go on this quest for that small of a reason. But then again, my brother had left home simply because he was bored. And being the foolish, younger sister that I was, I had toddled along right behind him. Now I had lost track of the years that I had been away from the Blue Mountains.

"You drag me along behind you simply because you want to be rich?" I hissed, leaning across the table so that I could shove the food away from him and grab his attention.

His eyes flashed in the lamp light, his lips curling down. "I don't believe I've dragged you anywhere, _unna_. It was you who decided to come along when I left home-"

"Nori-" I hadn't meant to challenge him.

"You could have stayed with Dori and his coddling and tea times-"

"You _like_ his tea times-"

"And Ori and his obsessive need to document everything that you say and do - getting drawn ten times a day simply because your expression changed-"

"I know," I finally snapped, stopping Nori mid-rant. He was right. It had been my decision to come with him. Even if it seemed to be the wrong one. It had been so long since I had seen the King - I gulped, a pounding starting deep inside my skull. Although, I had been able to stay under the protection of the Blue Mountains, I could always feel the stares. Particularly Thorin's. An elf in his halls, living with the few kin that he still had. He didn't trust me. I bowed my head, rubbing a hand over my face and through the tangled mess of my red curls. I didn't think he would ever trust me.

"It is too late to go back to Fangorn," Nori said, getting up suddenly. We were already less than two hours away from the Shire. It was surprising that we had not run into any of our kin yet. "Just think of the gold, Tori. All that beautiful gold."

Yeah. The gold. I grumbled out a breath, turning around and hopping to the floor.

"Where-?" The human beside us had finally realized that his watch was missing.

"You dropped something," I said blandly, glaring after my brother as he made his way out the front door and into the night air. We were supposed to be there just after sunset and that had already long since gone.

"Th-thank-" I didn't wait for the human to continue, dodging through the many legs and over beer puddles to get to the door.

We were on a time crunch here.

"' _Umlam_ ," Nori clicked his tongue, walking briskly down the path so that I had to jog to catch up with him.

"Maybe if you didn't have to eat every five seconds we would already be there," I snapped, my temper worsening with every step. It was like I could feel the whispers all the way from here. All those years of isolation and insults were suddenly so close that it was as if I had returned to the Blue Mountains. My king was not the only one that hated elves and the others had surely been more vocal about it.

Now I was walking right back into that hell of my own free will. _Lelkhar_.

"It is very…" I sniffed at the air, smelling none of the familiar tones of rock or water but sweeter scents like apples and sweet peas.

"Boring," Nori said flatly, trudging along beside me. He was right.

As the road grew narrower and more winding and the trees puffed into a great forest and then shrunk back down, the only thing that could be said was that it was. Very. Boring. There were no mountains to climb nor caves to explore. What did these hobbits do for fun? Simple hills with trim grass and neat roads ran along the landscape. Few trees could be seen the nearer we got to the Shire.

"There's no one to speak of," I said, eyeing the empty roads and the dark windows of the houses that we past.

"How can they go to sleep so early?" Nori wondered.

"They must have nothing much to do," I muttered, my fingers playing along the thick belt at my waist that held my twin daggers.

In my time with Nori, we had explored more caves and rivers than I could count. We had faced the Ent and survived the goblin tunnels that infected the mountains. I had felt most alive while I was running or fighting. That was why it was so hard to understand this. Maybe we were simply seeing one side. I shouldn't judge before I had even met the hobbit.

"There is a town nearby," Nori suddenly said, stopping as we came to a fork in the road to stare down the one to our right. Distantly, the glow of torches dotted the darkness. A wooden sign beside it said _Engrid's Inn_ in crude letters. The other paths were dark, the signs barely discernible in the light.

"Which way do you want to go?" I asked, switching over to our native Khuzdul after a glance around to make sure that no one was near.

"You must get to the Shire," Nori said after a brief pause, nodding down the path to our left with a hard stare. "If one of us doesn't get there soon, Dori will bust a blood vessel. Come howling down the roads like a bloody banshee. I have to get some supplies before we go any further."

My lips thinned, the ticking of my nerves running through my body in incessant clicks. I wasn't a child anymore but I felt like I was being forced to sit with kids that I didn't really like. But there was no way that I could show Nori this. With a stiff nod and a pat to his arm, I began the long trudge to the Shire.

"Bring back some cinnamon buns!" I called into the night, switching back to the standard tongue. A grunt was the only reply I received.

As the path grew more overgrown, the houses tinkered off into nothingness and I was left with only the plains to keep me company. Being objective was becoming harder and harder. The grass was so nice and neat and green even in the night that it had to be cut rather often. Hills took over the horizon, dipping and reaching lazily to the sky in a series of shrugs.

Instead of houses, hobbits seemed to like to live in the ground, their front doors round and clean as they peeked from the gentle curves of the hills. Everything was organized, even the way that their shrubs and wildflowers seemed to be unruly, the sides curling around the door frames and gates. Even through my thick boots I could feel the softness of the moss covered cobblestone beneath my feet. How was someone that lived in this gentleness ever going to survive on a quest such as this?

" _Majalakhashul mahalu-me-_ " I stopped, sending the beads adorning my hair clinking against each other as I looked around wildly. Sweat dampened my neck and face as I huffed out a breath, searching across the horizon. The letter that Dori had sent had said that we would found the hobbit hole that we were looking for simply by looking for a blue mark on the door.

My packs were starting to weigh down on me. Irritated, I unbuckled the belt that held my twin axes to my back and shed my pack. The thick leggings lined with fur fit tightly to my legs, my gray skirt poofing out even more as I cinched up my belt. Ori liked to dress me and this was one of the few outfits that I had left from him. Tugging up my fingerless mittens, I tucked in the reddish brown material of my sleeves so that the fur-lined edge could reach nearly to my elbow.

The only thing that I could do to relieve some of the discomfort was to take off my cloak and shove it into my bag leaving me with my light gray vest, shirt, skirt, and leggings. At least I wouldn't be as hot now. With that, I settled myself in to walk again.

"Is this it?" I blinked, winding around a corner. I hadn't come across one other being since the inn.

"I'm sure it's here. Don't you see the mark?"

It was them. Cotton filled my mouth as I stared at their backs, their gate strong and sure even in stillness. They stood just at the circular door, the gate winding through with vines and honeysuckle, ajar. They had to stand a few inches if not a foot taller than me, hair the color of chocolate and fresh, golden wheat contrasting beside each other.

"Fili and Kili," I breathed, barely registering that I had even spoken as they both whipped around to stare at me.

They had grown since I had last seen them. I gulped, feeling a sudden heat roll up my spine and over my neck and face. They had grown a lot. Although Kili still kept his puppy dog charm with wide chocolate eyes and a scruffy splatter of hair darkening his chin, he had grown stronger, his muscles lean. When we were little he had always had an inclination towards speed and distance combat. That was why he had always tried to pair up with me for games like catch the rock and tag. Because of my only half dwarven blood, I didn't lumber like the rest of our kin did.

But it was Fili that made my palms sweat and my throat clog up like someone had just punched me in the throat. He had never really paid attention to me when we were little - not like his brother had. In fact, it was rare that he seemed to pay attention to anything but his uncle, most of his focus put into becoming the next heir to the throne of Durin. Unlike Kili, his eyes shown bright and arctic through the darkness. They were so focused and unyielding that it made me a bit uncomfortable, my eyes searching for anywhere else to look.

Although his coat was thick and lined with fur, there was no mistaking the defined curve of very strong arms and a broad chest and shoulders. Honey hair tipped through with darker browns and lighter shades of blonde that ranged even more into white, tangled through with thick breads and beads. A short beard roughed his jaw. He had grown a lot. My eyes watered, my hands growing unsteady as my bags slipped from my fingers clumsily.

" _Oh mahalu-me turg_ ," I hissed, anger rolling through me along with a mixture of confusion and something that was a lot more embarrassing to face than the fact that I thought that the next king of Erebor was-

I shut that down, reaching to yanking my bags back into place.

"I'm sorry…" Fili started and I glanced up to see that his eyes had crinkled up, his lips tipped into a smile. My heart skipped a beat. "But…"

My ears perked up as I stepped forward, making my way toward the door as it there was a rope pulling me closer.

"Do we know you?" The question hit me like a ton of bricks, my feet tripping over each other as I came to a halt in front of them. Words stalled inside my throat, sending me into spluttered incoherence. They didn't know me? I stared up into Fili's questioning eyes, barely registering it as he gently took the bag from my hands. He didn't know me. My eyes snapped to Kili, his face tipped into the same polite curiosity. They both didn't know me. Bitterness rolled through me coated heavily in anger. Here I was fawning over them like a bloody _lelkhar_ and they didn't even know me!

"No, my princes," I snapped, shoving my way past them angrily so that I could be closer to the door. "Of course you don't."

My fist slammed against the door, the wood shaking unsteadily beneath the force. _These stupid, handsome princes with their stupid, handsome faces_. I was sure they had seen many dwarf maidens. Who would remember something as utterly and completely common as a dwarf lady with elven blood that used to live and play with them.

" _E manuna_ ," Fili started, his voice low and his breath blowing hot against my ear as he leaned closer. "Surely-"

"I'm not your lady," I snapped, plastering on a smile as the front door swung open to reveal a bewildered looking hobbit, his blonde curled unruly. Apparently we had caught him at a bad time, his night robes already on and his eyes dazed. My eyes flicked to the coat rack just beside the door. There were already two placed there. Maybe the dazed look wasn't from a need for sleep afterall.

Behind me, I felt both brothers shift as they straightened. All of those princely lessons had to pay off somewhere, I supposed.

"Fili." A tick went off in my jaw as I felt his hand ghost across my waist. _Stupid-_

"And Kili," the younger one proclaimed, his voice barely hiding the laughter that was threatening to break through. And then they were both dipping into bows, their big, stupid dwarf bodies bumping either side of me as they continued on in one voice: "At your service."

 _Wow_. Did they do everything in unison or was this just a special occasion? Reigning in my violent temper, I ignored both of them (or I tried to) and focused all of my attention on the hobbit in front of me, his eyes still wide with bewilderment.

"Tori," I said, dipping into a deep curtsy. "At your disposal, master hobbit."

"Tori?" I heard Fili whisper and suddenly he was leaning around me to stare at my face, his fingers coming to grasp my chin as he turned me so that he could get a better look. Sizzling heat ran down my spine at his invasive gaze and touch. "It can't be-"

"Tori - Tori?" Kili whispered excitedly, wiggling in beside his brother so that they were both staring down at me. Why did they have to be so tall? " _The_ Tori?"

What did that mean? Giving them my best glare, I yanked away from Fili's hold to curtsy again to the hobbit. "I'm sorry that I've made it so late."

"You must be mister Boggins," Kili chimed in good naturedly as I straightened, catching the tail end of horror that flashed across the hobbits face.

"I heard his name was Bungens," I said blandly, starting to step forward to make my way into the house.

"Nope! You can't come in. You've come to the wrong house." I blinked, stumbling back as a finger curled into my collar and yanked me out of the way of the quickly closing door.

"What?" Kili exclaimed forcing the door back open with an easy push of his hand, sending the hobbit stumbling back. "Has it been canceled?"

That was news to me. If it had been canceled then why were two dwarves already here?

"No one told us," Fili murmured, stepping forward so that I was squashed between the two brothers, a warm hand now firmly on my waist. Fili's deep blue eyes met mine as he leaned down to speak to me. "Did anyone tell you?"

Heat seared my cheeks, fueling the anger that was rolling through my chest and I deftly slapped away his hand from my waist, straightening to my full height so that I could glare up at him.

"If I had gotten that word, why would I be here?" I snapped, turning away with a huff. It was annoying enough that my outburst only seemed to fuel is growing amusement, his straight, white teeth flashing in a wicked smile.

"Can-? No. Nothing's been canceled," the hobbit blurted out, his brows furrowing in on themselves.

"If it hasn't been canceled then why are you playing such games?" I muttered, leaning around Kili to stare at the hobbit.

"Well, that's a relief," Kili chirped, just as chipper as always as he shoved the door open the rest of the way and strode in. I quickly followed after him, hating the reacting tingle that was traveling up and down my spine from having Fili so close to my back.

Peeling off my mittens, I straightened the cuffs of my sleeves and collar. Master Bungen's home was rather nice if a little. Circular halls crisscrossed all around us, leading into a variety of different rooms. Carpets were spread out over the polished wood floor. It was very...comfortable would be the right word.

"Careful with these." I glanced to my side as I forced the tangled mess of my hair out of my face, groaning when it immediately went back to the chaotic mess that it had been before. Fili was shoving twin blades into Master Bungen's hands, reaching into his coat to pull out a series of daggers. "I've just had them sharpened."

He voice sounded like it was made from gravel, the words rough and calloused like his hands. My nose scrunched up. "All those rocks that he used to eat when we were kids must have gone somewhere else than to his stomach."

"What?" Woah. Fili had really good hearing.

"Nothing," I replied sweetly, setting down my pack. In his defense, I had only seen him eat two rocks when we were kids. And both were because someone had dared him to.

"Let me." Fili was suddenly in front of me, his hands working deftly at the belt of my twin battle axes as he undid them. Who knew that such big fingers could be so gentle?

"I can do it," I snapped but I wasn't fighting him. My eyes roamed over the smooth planes of his face. When we were younger, I had said that I was going to marry him. All the silly girls wanted to marry the fair-haired prince. I was no different. His eyes met mine as he peeled the belt away from my shoulders.

"I know you can," he whispered. _What was he talking about?_ I blinked. He was only a couple inches away from my face. _Too close_. I yanked myself away, stumbling back.

"I'm hungry," I blurted out, backing away until I hit a wall. Why did he make me so unsteady? Fili just kept staring at me, his eyes soft and sparkling and his lips tipped into a secretive smile. Stupid dwarf prince. Quickly, I dodged around a corner, raising in the general direction of the noise.

This was going to be the longest night of my life.

* * *

**_Khuzdul:_ **

_Unna: Sister_

_'Umlam: Quickly_

_Lelkhar: Idiot/oaf/fool_

_Majalakhashul mahalu-me: For Aule's-_

_Oh mahalu-me turg: Oh Aule's beard_

_E manuna: My lady_


	3. Reunions and Introductions

I stared down at the pure silver candlesticks sitting on the fireplace. Although the actual piece was less than extraordinary to look at, the metal was laced through with gold and it was finely polished. It was much like the whole of the hobbits little home - less than extraordinary but with a small sort of charm that made it unusually hard to take your mind from. My fingers itched, my eyes flicking around to check that the hobbit had gone somewhere else. If it was pawned, it would get me a good bit of money. It was too tempting. Did he think that all of his visitors were good people? It would only be courteous to dissuade him of this notion, right? Make sure that he hid things a bit more when he had guests.

"Tori." I jolted to the side, stumbling over the thin carpet and bumping into the low oak table. Dwalin stood tall and imposing in the round doorway, his bushy brows low and his lips tipped down in reprimand.

Although Balin, his older brother was my main tutor, Dwalin had taken up my weaponry education in the hopes that I would be able to defend Ori. Ori had always seemed to hold a soft spot with the older dwarf - ever since Dwalin had found him sobbing in a corner of the dwarven work rooms, his sketch book torn to shreds all around him. The other dwarves had gotten to him again.

It was the start of my rather extensive training. And also the rather protective nature that Dwalin had towards Ori. He had been less than welcoming to the idea that I was going to be taking after Nori. In fact, it had been the first time that I had seen him so utterly horrified.

"Master Dwalin." I stumbled over myself trying to give him a proper curtsy, growing flustered under his harsh gaze. He had looked at me like this more than I would like to admit but for a fair bit of time, these kinds of looks had been absent.

"I've never met such a polite thief," Dwalin gruffed, his gaze still as stony as ever. Heat slowly crept up my spine, searing my face. Even Dori couldn't make me feel as foolish and ashamed as Dwalin could. "Did Nori teach you all these tricks or is there still an honest lass inside that little body of yours?"

"Honest as ever," I said immediately, switching over to Khuzdul as I grew more flustered but at the severe tip of his lips, I switched back. "Sorry."

"Don't you go stealing from the hobbit," Dwalin said darkly. "Have you lost your senses, lassie? Have the troll holes that Nori's taken you to, kept more than your former sense of honor?"

I glanced down at myself, fumbling with the creases of my skirt as a deep panic started to twist my stomach. I hated when he yelled at me. Or when he slightly raised his voice.

"What did I used to tell you, girl?"

"Honor is the pride of the dwarves," I said immediately, shrinking from him as he came over to stand in front of me. These speeches used to come swiftly and often when I was under his charge.

"Hmph," I gulped as his eyes flicked over me. "Balin will be happy to hear that you've kept some of our teachings."

"All of them, _agshar_ ," I promised, bowing my head respectfully. It was out of personal need that Dwalin and Balin had taken me under their wing. And under direct order from the king himself. Even I knew that. I was a medical anomaly. I had the speed and agility of the elves with all of the brutal force of the dwarves. After the loss of Erebor they had needed a weapon. And I'm sure that they had considered the fact that perhaps my abandonment wasn't a deliberate act. Perhaps I was more important alive and under dwarven influence than dead.

Knowing this… I breathed in, closing my eyes as the sweet scent of hobbit, cooked meat and then deeper - caves and fresh, underground water. I couldn't hate them.

"Where are your brothers, lassie?" I blinked as big, stubby fingers patted my head, glancing up just in time to see him turn and make his way into the hallway where the hobbit was still standing, looking as bewildered as before.

His home was nothing like the wilderness and caves that I knew. In fact, his house made my whole entire body feel an uncomfortable sort of itchiness that came from being in confined spaces. The wood floors were all polished to a gleaming perfection (although I was amused to see that muddy tracks had marred even that) and the bookshelves, trunks and general messiness that lined the walls was somehow condensed into seeming organized. It reminded me of small burrows that animals kept, tunnels running all around like a frantic mole trying to find all the routes that it could.

It didn't have the ruggedness that the mountains held. The gentle coziness that the hearth in every room held and the string of dried garlic and parsnips hanging from pantry doorways held seemed almost extraordinary to me. Nori would have a field day when he got here. Dori would love it.

"They should be-" I stopped as Fili strolled past, his blue eyes catching mine as he swiftly took off his coat. The lamplight lit up the harsh line of his jaw and defined all the parts of him that I didn't want to think about. Like his biceps. Instinctively, my lips curled down into a sneer as his lips did the exact opposite, his eyes sparkling. _Stupid prince._

My eyes stayed on him as I distantly registered the sound of the front door bell being rung.

"They're here," I gritted out, glaring at the tall blonde as he turned fully to face me, tossing his coat onto a trunk that was already stacked high with books. He looked so bloody cocky. "What are you staring at?"

"You're the one that looked my way first, Tori," he said lowly, a smirk curling his lips devilishly as he stepped closer to me, causing me to have to look up in order to keep eye contact.

"Don't call me Tori," I hissed out, ignoring the fact that my chest was brushing against him and that a few strands of his hair was falling forward in a rather charming way.

"What would you like me to call you? _Hamumal amrul_?" Heat rolled over my neck, searing my face as my breath clogged in my throat, my eyes going wide. The words felt like a physical punch to the gut. Brilliant, blue eyes sparkled down at me as his head tipped to the side.

 _Little love_. I blinked rapidly, trying to regain myself as I hissed in a breath. "I-I- You won't need to call me anything. We won't be talking much along this journey."

"I highly doubt that, Tori." His every breath took mine away, his head tipping down so far that I could feel the gentle exhale against my cheek. I looked away, my eyes watering. I couldn't think of anything to say. My mind was completely blank. I felt like I was drowning.

Dwalin coughed. _Thank Aule_. I jerked away, stumbling back until I could feel the solid press of a wall behind me. He wouldn't affect me like this again. Fili was a force that was contaminating my senses. He would ruin me completely if I let him.

"You stay away," I warned, putting as much force into my voice as I could muster as Fili tipped his head back, his eyes sparking. And then I ran.

"I-i-if this is some clotterd's idea of a joke-" I hurried after him as the small hobbit gave a forced laugh. Even that sounded a bit panicked. What an odd bunch of creatures - these hobbits. We had been invited by Gandalf and yet he was acting like we had just planned a funeral on his birthday. If this was the kind of nervous nature that he had… My hopes drooped. He wouldn't last all the way to the mountains.

Hurrying to pick up the daggers and swords that he tossed this way and that in his blind rage, I set them on the sofa in a room just to the left of the front door. They really were beautiful weapons. My fingers ran along the intricate leather sheaths that encased the steel. I could at least give Fili that.

Mr. Bungens was still rattling off, his voice growing higher and higher in key as he got closer and closer to the door. Whipping around, I quickly stopped as Bilbo tossed open the door and then stumbled back as a dozen or so dwarves cascaded into the main hallway, screaming and grumbling along the way.

"Get off!" My ears perked up at the familiar voice, watching intently as all of them slowly regained themselves, straightening their clothes and smoothing out their hair as they got up.

"You ill-mannered heathens, what do you think-?" Artic blue eyes connected with mine, the stream of chastization stopping dead in it's tracks.

"Brother," I whispered, a sudden awkwardness falling over me as I quickly dropped my eyes to the floor. I hadn't left with Nori on such great terms with my eldest brother. In fact, he had all but screamed us out of the great gates of the Blue Mountains. If there would have been any reason for me to stay, it would have lain with Dori and Ori. I dipped unsteadily into a curtsy.

"You dolt." Arms crushed me to a big, burly chest, jolting the air out of me in one swoop as the familiar scent of herbs and tea engulfed me. I had forgotten about that scent. "Why haven't you written?"

I didn't answer immediately, my arms slowly going to wrap around him as involuntary tears stung my eyes. "I did. You didn't get them?"

"I got them," my brother said stubbornly, not letting going even as I tried to pull back to get a look at his face. "You didn't write home enough. Don't you have some care for your poor brother's emotions?"

Over his shoulder, I saw Nori roll his eyes, his lips moving as he dramatically reenacted Dori's words. Beside him, Ori shifted awkwardly, his big, doe eyes widening as tears welled up. I smiled, snuggling more fully into Dori's hold. I had missed this.

"I hate to break up this touching reunion but we need to get some food." Gloin and Oin muscled their way past us, their hair taking up nearly as much room as their big bodies. Many of the women had been drawn to them for the giant mass of red and gray hair that the brothers had. It wasn't unsurprising that both of them were married so happily. Another thing that they had in common was their equal degree of disinterest towards me.

"Yes!" Dori suddenly exclaimed, tearing himself away from me as he threw off his coat and quickly went to work on undoing Ori's and tossing it onto a trunk beside the door. "Food!"

"No!" the hobbit suddenly exclaimed, jolting out of his shock as the whole of the dwarves that were brought here began to make their way to the two pantries that were directly beside the kitchen and dining room. "No! No food!"

Just then, my eyes caught on the familiar figure clothed in gray, his eyes twinkling merrily as her watched from his crouched position on the doorstep.

"You don't have any food?" Dori breathed, clearly aghast at the thought.

"No - I mean - I - I do," Mr. Bungens stuttered out, his eyes flicking from the dwarves to the wizard at his doorstep in confusion and shock.

"Good!" Dori roared, clapping merrily as he rolled up his sleeves and nodded to Nori who swiftly nodded back before hurrying to the pantry to pick out some tea herbs. "Ori, go sit by the fire. There was a chill in the air tonight and I don't want you catching a cold, do you?"

Ori scuttled forward a few steps as my brother nudged him steadily in the direction of the parlor that I had just set Fili's swords.

"Tori." Although the words were gentle in the din of sound that was slowly sucking the life out of the small home, I turned to my youngest brother, placing a tentative hand on his arm.

Although Balin had been my main tutor in all things like writing and language, Ori had been the one who had started me down the path. He would teach me everything and anything that he had learned. And because we were so close in age, it had been him who I had played with. We had been each other's companions for the whole of my childhood. A small smile tipped up his lips as he placed his hand over mine.

"I've missed you," I whispered, my eyes catching on the thick leather journal clutched in the hand that I wasn't holding. "You got my journal."

Happily, he dipped his head in confirmation. "You look so different, Tori. I almost didn't-"

"Tori." I glanced to the side, catching Dori's stern look as he flicked his eyes to the parlor before staring intently at Ori who blushed a bit.

"I'll talk to you later," I whispered, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before hurrying back to Dori who nodded to the wizard who had by now moved into the main hallway. I took the hint.

"Master wizard." My head dipped low as I gave him a deep curtsy, keeping my eyes to the ground as I straightened. "Would you like anything to eat?"

Beside me, I heard a gurgled screech roll from the hobbit. What an odd creature, he was.

"Gandalf will suffice… Um, I'm sorry. I've quite forgotten your name." I didn't glance up at the merry laugh that he gave, his well trodden boots coming into view as well as the muddy hem of his robes. He must have been on the road for a very long time trying to gather us all up.

"Tori, Mast- Gandalf. Sir." It felt incredibly awkward calling a wizard by his first name although my muddled correction only seemed to amuse him more.

"Well, Tori - if you will, I would like a crust of bread… If Master Baggins would be so willing to oblige."

At this, I did glance up, my brows drawing together as my mind swirled in confusion. Who was..? Gandalf was staring at Mr. Bungens. I blinked, watching as the hobbit's cheeks colored and his lips thinned.

"You-" the hobbit started angrily, stepping forward.

"You didn't mention that your name was Baggins," I blurted out, staring at him. It was a much better name than Bungens or Boggins, for sure. "Why didn't you correct me?"

"There was a lot going on," the hobbit said, his voice thin with strain. A small blood vessel in the side of his temple beat furiously, pounding beneath his flesh as he kept his eyes adamantly on the wizard behind me.

"Bread will do quite fine, little Tori." My attention snapped back to the wizard, my head tipping back, back, back until it cracked. This man was like a great oak, his eyes lit with life even though his hair was long and white as snow, his face wrinkled with age.

"Butter, sir?" His brows tipped up. "Gandalf?"

"Very good." He nodded, smiling gently down at me. "Butter will suffice. Thank you, Tori."

Giving him one final curtsy, I hurried off to the pantry.

"Watch out." Fire blazed up my spine at the familiar voice. If only to get away from it, I would enjoy not being set up in this small hobbit hole.

Pressing my lips together, I stepped aside as Fili and Kili, adjust the large barrel of wine in their hands as they made their way to the dining room.

"You know, you could try to look a bit excited at seeing me," Fili suggested and I gritted my teeth as he deliberately halted walking in front of me, effectively trapping me in the corner that I had backed into.

"Why should I fake it, my prince?" I asked, forcing a thin smile as Kili gave a snort. The younger brother was obviously getting more than his fair share of entertainment from his brothers antics.

"Oh, love," Fili said, his head tipping to the side as he gave me a smirk that sent fire blazing through my veins. "I think what you're doing right now is faking it."

"You arrogant-" I began, my scalp tingling as anger flushed my face and clogged my throat. I wanted to punch his stupid face.

"Come on, Kili," Fili said, effectively stopping my rant as he raised his voice and turned his attention back to hauling the barrel into the dining room.

"Maybe next time, eh, Tori?" Kili chortled as he walked past, an amused smirk curling his lips.

 _What a pair of clots._ I silently seethed, my fingers uncurling and curling into fists as I glared after them. It was amazing that they could fit into the halls with those gigantic heads of theirs. He was just taunting me because he knew it got to me. I kicked at the ground angrily.

"Tori." Dori had found me, his face already gleaming with a fine sheen of sweat. "Does Gandalf not want anything?"

"No - um -" I stumbled over myself as my older brother's brows furrowed. "Bread. With butter."

"Did you inquire about drinks?" I remained silent. My brother was an adamant believer in tea. At all times of the day. "Nori really has corrupted you with his barbarian-"

My eye twitched.

"You bet I have," Nori boasted as he strolled past us, his teeth gleaming in the lamplight as he gave me a quick pat on the head and a wink before continuing on into the dining room. "Fili! You've become quite a looker now haven't you?!"

"Well, go on, then," Dori grimaced, shooing me into the pantry as he hurried back to the kitchen. "I'll get the tea, you get the bread. Be quick about it."

"Bloody fabulous," I hissed, slamming my way into the place as a series of dwarves filed in and out with handfuls of different foods.

My eyes restlessly flicked from the door and back as a deep anxiety filled me. That bloody dolt just wouldn't leave me. I was waiting for him to pop up around every corner and open his big, handsome mouth and say something - I sliced through the bread angrily. There was nothing more to do. I just had to ignore him.

Taking a deep breath, I shook my hair away from my face and straightened my shoulders as I picked up the tray with buttered bread. _Composed face: on._


	4. King of Erebor

It wasn't working. We kept bumping into each other. _He_ kept bumping into _me_.

"Woah, _halawal_ ," Fili murmured, big hands going to circle my biceps warmly as I plowed into his chest coming around a corner. I grimaced, feeling the resulting heat start to bubble along my skin and sear my cheeks. It was ridiculous how many times I could run into him in a single night. "In a hurry?"

" _Galkhishmer_ ," I whispered, lowering my eyes and ducking around him to get into the dining room.

I could feel the heat of his gaze all the way around the corner.

It was a merciless game of hide and go seek. Every time I would start to settle in, there he was. And he kept _looking_ at me. Winking. Throwing me cute little smirks. Eventually - tired of going around corners and suddenly stopping in terror as I saw random flashes of blonde hair - I settled in the dining room.

It was a shame that most everyone else had the same idea.

"What's wrong with your face?" Ori's eyes widened as he took up a seat directly next to me on the long bench. By shoving together a couple of tables that had been scattered about the house in random places, we had been able to make a large enough table to seat us all with a variety of smashed together benches and chairs. Plates filled with food cooked by Bombur - I nodded to him as he set himself down at the end of the table with a _hmph_ and a great platter of cheeses - who was as famous for his recipes as for his prowess in front of a full plate.

"I don't know what you mean," I whispered, trying to keep my expression neutral. I had been trying to do that for so long that part of my face felt numb.

"You look all…" He contorted his face, his eyes widening and the squinting as he waved his arms about randomly.

"You do look rather sickly, Tori," Dori grumbled as he sat down beside Ori, his plate clattering to the table as he gave me a keep once over. "Have you been eating properly. Too thin as always."

Someone threw a piece of meat at Bombur, the slab nearly hitting my face as I quickly leaned back. My eyes caught on Master Baggins, his face emptied of all color as he shook his head in disbelief and turned away from the scene. Although I had lived with dwarves most of my life I could see how it was unwelcoming. They were loud and rowdy and they liked to talk with their mouths filled with food, spittle dribbling out. Not to mention…

My eyes caught on Fili as he strode toward the table, his lips quirked up in a mischievous smile and his arms filled with full cups of ale as he hopped up onto the table.

"Watch your step, boy!" Gloin reprimanded as his boots came dangerously close to capsizing the elder dwarves plate.

"Wouldn't dream of taking away your potatoes and ham, Gloin," Fili said charmingly, leaning down to hand him one of the drinks before moving on.

Something inside me withered uncomfortable. I watched him closely as he went across the table, stepping over plate after plate and around glasses with the deftness of a cat. How many girls had he been able to charm with those looks and words? His teeth flashed clear and white as he neared me, his eyes snapping up to connect with mine as he slowed. I was suddenly very glad that I hadn't had to endure watching his past conquests in the Blue Mountains.

" _Jailaikhsh astni, hamumal amrul._ " His eyes never left mine as he handed the drink over to me. Excitement tingled along my spine as a blush worked its way up my neck. Was he going to continue to call me that ridiculous name?

"Thank-" I stopped, suddenly becoming uncomfortably aware of the silence that had dropped over the dining room. Embarrassment and discomfort prickled along my skin as my fingers involuntarily brushed against Fili's as he handed over the cup, searing tingles jolting up my hand. My heart felt like it was dancing its way up my throat. I wanted to look away but his eyes looked like they were swirling darkly with blues and crystal whites that took my breath away.

I felt like I was having a panic attack.

"Y-you can move on now," I snapped, slamming the cup to the table and making ale slosh all over both my hand and the table. Chills and heat prickled along my skin as I waited tensely for him to move, my eyes firmly glued to the cracked table.

Everyone was still silent. Dwarves didn't thrive on drama but they certainly weren't averse to the occasional bit of juicy tidbits. I bit my lip, forcing my eyes up even as a blush burned across my cheeks. I'm sure it was all too obvious that this was affecting me. My skin was way to white and my freckles all too much a contrast to hide a single color change. Arctic blue eyes caught mine, his brows drawn low. He looked like he was calculating something, his eyes growing dark and… I gulped, my mouth suddenly going dry. _Hunger_. Something deep inside me twisted, responding.

"Actually," he started slowly, crouching down so that we were nearly eye to eye and so close that I could feel his warmth. "I was going to take the seat directly beside you, Tori. Catch up on all this lost time."

Cotton filled my mouth as I reeled back at the statement. Sitting beside me… My heart beat faster in my throat, my skin neck tingling uncomfortably. That would be very close. Panic itched through my insides.

"Unless," he said, his head tipping to the side, causing his braids and beads to clink against each other as his eyes crinkled. "That makes you uncomfortable, _hamamul amrul_."

My lips pressed together as I forced my eyes away from his.

"Whatever my prince sees fit to do," I forced out weakly, my stomach twisting.

" _My_ prince…" Fili mused, jumping down and sliding so close that his thighs and side pressed snugly to mine. I was going to die if I didn't breath soon. "I like the sound of that."

Brutal irritation rebelled against the other half of my mind that was becoming a puddle of mush beneath his gaze. The scents of leather and steel drifted toward me as he settled into place, his arm coming around to press to the other side of the bench, just beside my thigh. I breathed in again, closing my eyes. Leather and steel and then something beneath that - something sweet and comforting like fresh bread or cinnamon rolls.

"Is there something that I can help you with?" My eyes snapped open, my mind reeling. I was leaning towards him. Dear Aule, I looked like a _irrikifi_. Fili's eyes were crinkled up, the blue depths glittering like a fresh spring of water.

"You - " I sounded desperate, the side of my thigh burning as I felt his thumb brush closer. It was a good thing that the others had gone back to eating. Although I could still feel the pointed attention of some. I lowered my voice, tipping my head back more so that I could stare at him better. "Why are you doing this?"

His eyes narrowed, his lips quirking down before he was taking a slow drink of his ale. It was like he was calculating the next words that he should use. Slowly, he looked back to me.

"Merely talking to an old friend," he said lowly and my throat constricted. _An old friend._ Why did that make me feel so agitated?

"You didn't even know who I was," I hissed out, baring my teeth in a snarl as I saw his lips twitch.

"Is that what's gotten you so angry?" Fili quipped, his teeth flashing in the candlelight as he gave me a smirk, leaning forward until we were mere centimeters apart.

"Don't call me an old friend when the meaning is so lost to you," I snapped, my temper riling up until my fingers itched with the urge to curl into a fist. My eyes stayed locked on his.

"You've changed a lot, Tori," Fili said softly after a short pause. "You're hair was always very short when we were younger-"

"It got in the way," I interrupted, heat flaring across my face as his head tipped to the side, his eyes flicking to my lips and growing dark and heated.

"It doesn't now?" His words blew hot against my mouth as he leaned ever closer, an aching starting deep inside me. I was going crazy. I wanted him to -

"I'm sorry that we all can't look magni-" I snapped my mouth shut. I was just about to say that he looked magnificent from birth. I narrowed my eyes on him as his eyes crinkled with amusement.

"And you were always so covered in mud and leaves that most everyone thought you were a boy." I gritted my teeth, the heat in my cheeks amping up another couple degrees. "You've changed."

His reasons were very good.

"Are you going to eat anything, Tori?" I blinked, jolting back from Fili to turn toward my brother, his eyes wide as they flicked from Fili to me and then back again. He was much too perceptive for his own good - even if it was hard for the others to admit.

"Um…" I floundered, looking down at my still full plate of food. I had barely eaten anything at the inn-

"We've walked a long way," Nori said, his eyes critical as he stared at me from across the table. I really didn't - An apple slid into view out of the corner of my eyes. I blinked, my fingers going to touch it's waxy exterior tentatively as my eyes flicked up to meet Fili's. I had loved apples when we were growing up. I used to climb the trees and shake the branches until they came raining down on the people below. _Lucky guess_.

Picking it up, I saluted the table before taking a deep bite, the juices popping sweetly in my mouth as I crunched down.

"Fili!" I glanced up to see Balin just outside of the dining room, his face tense as he gestured for Fili to come talk to him.

"Talk to you again, _humamul amrul_." His hand brushed along my back before he was getting up, a half smile still curling his lips. My eyes followed him as he went into another room, watching ]his steady gate. Everything about him was confident and over the years it seemed that he had grown a sense of humour that had been lost to him when we were young.

Rage was the main thing that I had remembered about our childhoods. He had always been one of the boys that seemed to be too old for the people that he was surrounded by. I suppose that had been one of his draws. Girls always did like the handsome, brooding type. Or at least, most girls.

"Tori, will you help clean up?" Dori suddenly quipped, standing as he collected all the uneaten food and headed toward the pantry. The table was mostly empty by now, most of the other, older dwarves going into separate rooms with hearths and sofas as they lighted their pipes. As he turned a corner, Dori called over his shoulder, "Ori, you help your sister," causing my brother to grumbled animatedly to himself as he went to work scraping all the leftover food into bowls.

Sighing, I did the same, creating a neat stack beside me.

"Tori, where exactly do we put the plates?" Ori suddenly asked, pausing in his tasks to stare at me.

I shrugged, glancing up to see Nori and Bofur stumble into the room, fighting over a piece of sausage links. "Nori, where do we put all these plates?"

My brother glanced up, his attention momentarily diverted from the sausages so that Bofur was able to yank them away with a gleeful smile.

"Bloody - Now look what you've done," Nori sniped, throwing his hands up as he sat heavily in a seat across from Bofur, his eyes murderous as he watched the dark haired dwarf devour the food with some help from Gloin who sat diagonal from him.

"I'm sure there's more of those in the kitchen," I said with an indulgent eye roll as I saw Bilbo make his way to stand just in the hall in front of the dining room, gesturing emphatically in every which way as he spoke rather quickly to Gandalf.

"I wanted _that_ one," Nori snarled, jabbing a finger at Bofur as he popped the last piece of meat into his mouth just as Dori sat heavily in the across from Gloin.

"You're still not done yet?" Our older brother asked, clearly exasperated. My eyes flicked to Ori who looked particularly striken, his gaze meeting mine.

"Go ask the hobbit," I said quietly, nodding to the enraged man in the hallway. "It's his house, he should know."

My brother gave a tentatively nod, picking up one of the dishes and heading over to the hobbit as I watched closely.

" 'Scuse me…" Ori started, walking up rather quickly to stand just in front of Bilbo. "Don't mean to interrupt…"

My hands worked slowly at the plate I had, glancing up to see that Bombur had once again taken up his seat at the end of the table. Deftly, I handed the plate bowls of leftover food to him.

"Thank you, lass," he bumbled out, nodding as he slurped up the remains with a contented face.

"But...What should I do with my plate?" Ori's eyes flicked from the plate back to Bilbo who looked like he was about to explode.

Just behind them both I caught the flash of Fili's blond hair as he strode forward, Balin scooting past him to make his way to a seat at the dining room table. Quickly, Fili's eyes ran over the room, his lips quirking up as they caught mine and then went back to Ori.

"Here you go, Ori," Fili said smoothly, taking the plate from my brother as the hobbit looked on in confused bewilderment. "Give it to me."

My mind flashed dully as he sent me a wink before raising the plate and hurling it down the hall. What an evil thing to do to the poor hobbit. The blonde haired dwarf's eyes caught mine again, their depths twinkling as he tipped his chin back in an obvious challenge, his hands up. What else was I to do?

I grabbed ahold of two more plates, throwing them toward him so that he caught them deftly in his hands. A grin curled my lips as Nori and Bofur laughed, grabbing up the silverware and slamming them together across the table. Catching a bowl that Bombur tossed my way, I bumped it off my elbow, catching it my hand before throwing it Fili's way.

"A bit confident there, lassie," Fili chuckled, catching it quickly.

"Excuse me!" Bilbo called shrilly, his voice raising as I picked up another, much fancier plate. I adjusted my grip, taking care to not be too hard on it as I threw it across the room. "That's my mother's West Farthing crockery! It's over a hundred years old!"

"I don't know what that is, Master Baggins!" I called gleefully, feeling a plate roll it's way up my spine and bump it's way off my head and across the room, two more cups following quickly after it. "But I assure you that they're in good hands!"

Bewildered and horrified, Bilbo stumbled over himself, his eyes catching on Nori and Bofur and Gloin and Dori.

"And can-can you not do that? You'll blunt them!" I snorted, spinning and dropping as Dwalin came in and grabbed up a plate to lob at Fili.

"Ooooohhh," Bofur mused, yelling over the clatter of silverware and plates as he continued on with sharpening the utensils. "Did 'ja hear that, lads? He says we'll blunt the knives."

I chortled, my eyes catching Fili's as he sent a plate under his leg and down the hall. What a silly hobbit. We were dwarves. If anything, we would make them sharp enough to kill a bear.

" _Blunt the knives, bend the forks_ ," a deep voice started from down the hall and I realized that Fili had been sending the dishes to his brother. Slowly, the blonde haired dwarf joined in, followed quickly by everyone else. " _Smash the bottles and burn the corks / chip the glasses and crack the plates / That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!_ "

I screamed the last part, jumping up on the table to kick up a couple plates and bowls with my feet, sending them toward Nori who had gotten up from his seat with a merry blush to his cheeks. We hadn't sung like this in so long.

"We're very good with our hands, Master Baggins! Don't you worry!" I giggled, twirling around him as I caught a couple plates sent to me from Ori and sent them down the hall to Bifur.

"Very good with our hands," a deep voice whispered in my ear, causing a shiver to roll up my spine as I spun to come face to face with Fili who had a devilish smirk on his lips.

" _Splash the wine on every door_ ," I started back in unsteadily, ducking so that a bowl went sailing over my head, my eyes still intently on Fili. " _Dump the crocks in a boiling bowl / Pound them up with a thumping pole_."

Fili spun me, his hands on my waist and his eyes sparkling as he stared down at me. Butterflies fluttered through my chest, tickling my heart. " _When you've finished, if any are whole / Send them down the hall to roll_."

Fili's fingers curled around my bicep, leading me over to stand just beside Nori who had a secretive smile on his face. " _That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!_ "

The song ended with a great splatter of applause and laughter, the wizard staring down at the stacked dishes with barely concealed amusement. And the hobbit - Well, he looked like he was going to faint as he rushed into the room, his breath uneven from chasing dwarves around his home.

A sudden knock broke through the laughter, sending everyone's heads turning and silence to reign over the group. I gulped, all glee sinking into uncertainty. Besides me, Fili straightened, his eyes growing hard and his head tipping back. Ah, here it was. The moment where he stopped fooling around with the peasant girl and became a prince again. I edged away from him, my lips tightening.

"He's here," Gandalf said softly and my heart beat a little faster. Fili's eyes ran over me, his brows tipping together.

Slowly, we all moved into the main hall. I trailed behind, my eyes intent on the closed door. Even his knock sounded commanding. Seemingly sensing the change in mood, Bilbo stayed by my side. Cautiously, I made my way to the front, Master Baggins still firmly beside me. I think it had more to do with the fact that I was female and around his height than the fact that he liked me. I wasn't as imposing as the others. Licking my lips, I watched with baited breath as Gandalf opened the door to reveal a tall dwarf, his build strong and filled with unconcealed authority. His dark hair that reached nearly to his shoulders and his beard were both spiked through with silver. And his eyes were just how I remembered them, a grayish blue that seemed to hold arctic winds.

"Gandalf…" Thorin said slowly, his voice deep and steady as he stepped into the house. "I thought you said that this place was easy to find. I lost my way, twice. Wouldn't have found it at all had it not been for that mark on the door."

I bit my lip as Bilbo shifted beside me, his eyes snapping with recognition as Thorin took off his cloak nonchalantly and set it on a chest beside him.

"Mark?" Bilbo quipped, looking around in astonishment as Gandalf closed the door with a slightly contrite expression. "There's no mark on that door; it was painted a week ago!"

My brows furrowed as Gandalf turned to stare down at the poor hobbit. "There is a mark; I put it there myself."

"It's the only way that we would have known how to find you, Master Baggins," I said softly, staring at him as he looked between the wizard and me in confusion.

"Bilbo Baggins, allow me to introduce the leader of our company, Thorin Oakenshield," Gandalf cut in quickly before I could say anymore.

Kili's eyes widened and then narrowed as he stepped up beside his uncle who turned slowly to stare down at the hobbit.

"So, this is the hobbit," Thorin started, his head tipping to the side as his eyes lit with amusement. "Tell me, Mr. Baggins, have you done much fighting?"

I grimaced, watching in grim dismay as Bilbo blinked. "Pardon me?"

"Axe or sword? What's your weapon of choice?" It was hard for any of us to believe that a hobbit who lived in such a posh place would be willing to risk his life in a dragon infested mountain. I was sure this distrust was amplified ten-folds for our king.

"Well, I have some skill at Conkers, if you must know, but I fail to see why that's relevant." I blinked. So were we supposed to get him acorns and string? How would he fight off orcs with something so puny? _Conkers_. I shook my head. He was no more a fighter than I was a human.

"Thought as much. He looks more like a grocer than a burglar." I snorted. _Bad decision._ Thorin's eyes zeroed in on me, the mirth evaporating as his eyes narrowed and hardened. "What is she doing here?"

I shrunk beneath his gaze, my head bowing. Thorin had been the most pleased at my decision to leave the Blue Mountains. I would even say that if we had asked for money to fund our trips then he would have emptied to vaults to see no more of us. My lips pressed together as I kept my gaze firmly on the ground, heat rolling over me as silence fell heavily.

"I brought her, my king," Nori said softly, coming to stand beside me. Just behind Thorin, I saw Ori and Dori tilt their heads back, their gazes dark.

"Do you want to bring the hobbit's next door neighbor as well?" Involuntarily, I flinched back at the harsh words, my hands clenching at my sides as a spiking pain exploded in my chest. No one laughed. No one said anything, in fact. I didn't even hear the shuffle of boots or clothes as Thorin continued to stare at me. Beside me, I felt Nori move closer to my side.

"Uncle -" My ears perked at the deep, gravelly voice, my eyes flicking up to see that Fili was staring at me with a mixture of… _Pity_? That was the worst thing that I could find. I looked away.

"I am hungry," Thorin said suddenly, heading with a surefootedness that befit someone of his status to the dining room. Slowly everyone followed after him, their eyes lingering on me as I stayed rooted to my spot.

" _Maznigthi, 'unna,_ " Nori whispered to me, his hand warm and comforting on my back as he slowly led me into the dining room and into a seat beside him.

I had been too carefree. I had made the foolish mistake of thinking that Thorin would accept me into the party without a backward glance. How wrong could I be? How foolish? Pride and embarrassment warred with each other, clouding my sense until I could barely hear what the others spoke of. It was a rehash anyway. Everything that I needed to know, I already did. _Dragon. Mountain. Revenge. Death_. Four simple words that explained the risks of following behind a king that didn't want me. My eyes zeroed in on a crack in the polished oak table, staying fixed until they were scratchy.

"Well, how many dragons have you killed?" I blinked, snapping out of my thoughts to stare around. Immediately, Fili's eyes caught mine, his head tipping back. He had been staring at me. Deftly, he flicked his hand up, pointing his index finger to the sky and then to the right. _Iglishmêk_. He was speaking to me in Dwarven sign language. _Are you okay?_ I gulped, nodding tentatively before I forced my eyes away from him to Gandalf.

"Go on! Give us a number," my brother exclaimed, causing the rest of the party to grow more and more restless as the wizard kept his silence. Suddenly everyone was screaming at once, chair clattering back as they argued about the number that the great wizard had killed.

Across the table, I caught Fili's eyes as he held up two fingers. _Two dragons killed?_ I shook my head, holding up five which made him smile.

" _Shazara_!" Thorin suddenly roared, his chair clattering back and his hand slamming down onto the table, immediately silencing everyone. "If we have read these signs, do you not think others will have read them too? Rumours have begun to spread. The dragon Smaug has not been seen for 60 years. Eyes look east to the Mountain, assessing, wondering, weighing the risk. Perhaps the vast wealth of our people now lies unprotected. Do we sit back while others claim what is rightfully ours? Or do we seize this chance to take back Erebor? _Du Bekâr! Du Bekâr_!"

I smiled softly. He was very good at speeches. Cheers filled the small room.

"You forget," Balin broke in, sounding beyond irritated as the others sat back in their seats. "The front gate is sealed. There is no way into the mountain."

He might as well have called us all dolts in the process.

"That, my dear Balin, is not entirely true," Gandalf suddenly cut in, sounding whimsical and mischievous as he twiddled his fingers, pulling a key out of thin air.

"How came you by this?" Throin breathed, his eyes glued to the key.

"It was given to me by your father, by Thrain, for safekeeping. It is yours now." With that, the old wizard handed the key over with a small smile, his eyes gentle.

"If there's a key, there must be a door," Fili mused and I rolled my eyes.

"Fantastic deduction, my prince," I sniped and his brows rose as he stared across the table at me, his lips tipping up. He looked like he was up to - I yelped as a boot skimmed across my calf, working it's way up and causing a blush to sear my face as I swatted it away.

"These runes speak of a hidden passage to the lower halls," Gandalf was saying.

"There's another way in!" Kili exclaimed and Fili looked at me pointedly.

"Well, if we can find it, but dwarf doors are invisible when closed. The answer lies hidden somewhere in this map and I do not have the skill to find it. But there are others in Middle Earth who can. The task I have in mind will require a great deal of stealth, and no small amount of courage. But, if we are careful and clever, I believe that it can be done."

"That's why we need a burglar," Ori whispered, his eyes wide.

"Hm, A good one, too. An expert, I'd imagine," Bilbo said with a firm nod, his brows drawn together. I raised my brows.

"And are you?" Gloin prodded careful.

"Am I what?"

"He said he's an expert!" Oin exclaimed without waiting for an answer. My eyes flicked to Fili briefly, catching the calculating stare that he had fixed the hobbit with as several dwarves laughed.

"He didn't say anything," I said carefully, my eyes locking on Bilbo as he reeled back and everyone fell silent.

"M - me? No, no, no, no, no. I'm not a burglar; I've never stolen a thing in my life." I had thought as much. My frown deepened as I stared at the jittery little hobbit.

"I'm afraid I have to agree with Mr. Baggins. He's hardly burglar material," Balin said warily as Bilbo nodded in agreement.

"Aye, the wild is no place for gentlefolk who can neither fight nor fend for themselves." At this, Dwalin's eyes flicked to me. What the hell did that mean? My brows went up.

"If I am considered gentle then I suppose it is by your hand alone, Master Dwalin," I said sweetly, taking one of my daggers out from beneath my vest to plunge into the oak table as I kept his gaze. "A student is only as good as her teacher."

Dwalin's lips quirked up as argument broke out all around us. If we had no burglar and no time to search one out, than this journey was going to be nearly impossible.

"Enough!" My eyes snapped to Gandalf as he raised himself to his full height, a suddenly chill gusting through the room. "If I say Bilbo Baggins is a burglar, then a burglar he is."

I held my breath as the wizard sat back down. He was so good-natured that you could almost forget that he was one of five great wizards.

"Hobbits are remarkably light on their feet. In fact, they can pass unseen by most if they choose. And while the dragon is accustomed to the smell of dwarf, the scent of hobbit is all but unknown to him, which gives us a distinct advantage. You asked me to find the fourteenth member of this company, and I have chosen Mr. Baggins. There's a lot more to him than appearances suggest, and he's got a great deal more to offer than any of you know, including himself. You must trust me on this." It made perfect sense when he explained it but that wasn't the problem. The problem was the hobbit himself. My eyes wandered to him. At the moment he looked like he had just discovered he had eaten glass.

"Very well. We will do it your way," Thorin said and I closed my eyes as the hobbits voice grew frantic and the dwarves gave a couple hoots. Whether he would make it to Erebor was beyond me. Whether he would even make it to the next morning was beyond me.

"Miss Tori." I looked up, surprised to hear Thorin call my name.

"Yes, my king?" My voice squeaked, going higher before I could conceal it. Thorin's eyes raised, his lips thinning. Behind him, I saw Bilbo looking over the contract with narrowed eyes.

Under the table, Fili's foot pressed to the side of mine, his eyes hard as he stared at his uncle. Briefly, Thorin's eyes flicked from his nephew to me and then back again.

"You've signed the contract?" he asked slowly, his eyes finally moving to stare back at me. I swallowed thickly, shaking my head in swift jerks. My eyes flicked to Nori and Dori, both of their lips thinned and their eyes blazing. The contract was a binding document with only one true signature meant to represent the whole of the dwarves of Erebor - Thorin's signature. We were his kin so we were under his name. Where he went, we went. The fact that he was asking me meant that - I blinked rapidly, lowering my gaze to the table. Against my foot, Fili's foot nudged the side, his body moving forward on the bench until his whole leg was pressing along my calf and thigh warmly.

I took in an unsteady breath.

"Under your order, Tori is required to go," Dori said lowly, his eyes dark as he stared at our king. My fingers clenched on the oak surface, my inside shivering.

"I think you are mistaken," Thorin said lowly. I could feel the press of his eyes on my face, unrelenting. "Tori - although we would like to _imagine_ that she has the blood of the dwarves running through her veins - is no more a Durin than I am a Baggins. She has no right to the mountain nor does she have any claim to the gold in its vaults. To fairly treat her, we must allow her to sign the contract."

I flinched, my throat clogging as an eerie silence fell across the room. Pain split my chest, involuntary tears blurring my vision. Beside me, my dagger glinted coldly in the lamplight. Why had I allowed myself to come back? For _this_? Embarrassment and disgrace.

"I will sign it by dawn," I whispered, keeping my voice soft so that no one would hear it crack. It was enough to be an outsider. Being pathetic and weak would drive my uselessness over the edge.

Abruptly, I got up, pulling my dagger from the wood with a dull _snick_ and moving swiftly away from the table and around the still seated dwarves. My red curls fell in my face, curtaining me from the stares of the room. If I was to be disowned from all my rights to the line of Durin than I would make the safe assumption that I didn't need to wait for my king to get up before I could do the same.

I didn't want them to see me cry. I would never let them see me cry. What had it gotten me in the halls of the Blue Mountains? Scorn and laughter. Moving swiftly down the hobbits halls, I opened the first door that I saw and sunk to the ground before hot tears began to slide down my face and throat. After this night, I wouldn't cry again, I promised myself, letting head drop to my knees as I stared at the blurry wisps of fire in the hearth. I would do everything in my power to get Erebor back for my family and then I would disappear - disappear like I had so many years before.

Distantly, I heard the beginnings of a low song - a song that Nori and Dori and even Ori had sung to me even when I was a babe.

" _Far away from Misty Mountains cold_ ," I sang softly, curling up on the mat in front of the hearth and ignore the snug bed behind me. No one would come to find me here.

* * *

_You know what to do, my lovely's! I love to hear from you guys and please follow/favorite if you like my story and want to see more._

**_Khuzdul:_ **

_Halawal: Sweets_

_Galkhishmer: Thank you_

_Jailaikhsh astni, hamumal amrul: For you, little love._

_Irrikifi: Creep_

_Maznigthi, 'unna: Courage, sister. ('Unna actually means something of the sort like respected sister.)_

_Shazara: Silence._

_Du Bekâr: To arms!_


	5. Feeling Peachy

I blinked groggily, my eyes adjusting in the darkness. In front of me, the last flames from the fire flickered and burned, the logs cracking drowsily as they gave their final yawns of wakefulness. The air was cold and dewy against my face, the circular window creaking on its hinges as it shivered in the morning wind from outside. I groaned, rubbing a hand over my eyes and rolling to stare at a bundle of blankets and sweaters, the knit blanket over top of me twisting around my limbs.

When we had been little, Ori had always liked to sleep next to me, his back to mine. Mumbling incoherently, I propped myself up on my elbow so that I could see the room. A large, snoring figure was bundled up beneath the hobbits bed and another one was curled at the foot of the bed, a laugh escaping his lips occasionally. _Dori and Nori_. I should have known that they would find me. The first clue was the damn window being open. Nori had always been peculiar in such things.

Rolling over like a fish out of water, I kicked at the blankets tangled around me until it was pooled on the floor and I was sweating like I had just wrestled a bear. That had been a lot more complicated than I originally thought. Quietly, I crept toward the door and out into the hallway, the quiet sound of snoring and mumbles greeting me as I snuck down the halls and into the dining room.

The tables were spotless, the plates and dishes all _gently_ placed back in their cabinets and shelves. The floor was a different story but I didn't think that particularly mattered. We had done a glorious job of cleaning up. My eyes caught on the contract, spread out across the table with a quill and ink beside it. I rubbed a hand across my neck, wincing. I had promised that I would sign it by dawn. Judging by the slowly lightening sky outside the window, it was almost that time.

" _I, the undersigned, [referred to hereinafter as Burglar,] agree to travel to the Lonely Mountain, oath to be determined by Thorin Oakenshield_ ," I murmured, my fingers running across the thick piece of parchment. My lips thinned, the taste of the words bitter on my tongue. I jumped ahead. " _Confidentiality is of utmost importance and must be strictly maintained at all times. During the course of his employment with the Company, Burglar will hear, see… Burglar undertakes and agrees to maintain this knowledge in utmost secrecy and confidentiality, and to neither divulge nor make known said knowledge by any means, including but not limited to speech, writing, demonstration, re-enactment, mime, or storage and retrieval within means or apparatus currently known or unknown or as yet unthought-of_."

It was honestly the most insulting thing that I had had to endure in a long time. He hadn't even printed up a separate contract for me. Did Gandalf have to sign anything like this? I jabbed the quill into the ink, pressing the tip so forcefully into the parchment that I thought the paper would rip. In Cirth, I wrote the first thing that came to my mind: _Dwarf female_. I wouldn't give myself a name in these documents if my presence would be such a blemish on the company. _Perhaps I should have said Elf female instead_ , I thought angrily, slamming the piece of parchment onto a low trunk as I made my way out of the hobbits home. I was so _furious_! I just wanted -

I slid a dagger from the belt at my waist, stomping toward a small fruit tree to the left of the front entrance that was barely visible beneath bushes and vines and hurled it so hard that it embedded into the bark, pieces of wood splintering off. Chill air whipped my red curls into my eyes, involuntary tears caused more out of sheer frustration than anything else, blurring my vision and causing my nose to burn.

I was as good as any of the others. Maybe even more so. I had been living in troll caves for years now while they had been selling wood carvings of birds. I kicked at a bush by my feet, a scream growling its way up my throat. It was stupid. It was ridiculous. They were treating me like I was some maid that they had brought in to keep their packs tidy.

A bird chirped in the distance, the sound of animals baying from far away. I was acting like a spoiled child throwing a tantrum. Crouching, I pressed my forehead to my knees and let out a breath. I had come out without my boots on so the grass and morning dew was starting to dampen my leggings and make me feel uncomfortable.

" _Kulhu imhel_?" I whispered to my knees, desperately trying to calm my emotions.

"Talking to yourself, love?" I jerked, turning so fast that I lost my balance and fell on my butt in the cold, wet grass.

Standing in the doorway, looking amazingly attractive with mussed hair and drowsy blue eyes, Fili had his usual smirk on his lips. The dark blue of the sky still twinkled with barely seen stars, the moon heavy-lidded beneath thick clouds.

"None of your business," I snapped, scrambling to my feet and swiping angrily at the tears that had escaped.

"Were you crying?" He was in front of me in a matter of seconds, his brows furrowing over his eyes as they darkened with displeasure. " _Kuf_ , Tori?"

I didn't say anything, my gaze shifting uncomfortably from the braids in his hair to the ruffled fur lining his collar, to the grass at our feet. My breath stalled for a moment as I felt the whisper of his fingertips against my cheeks, my eyes drooping as my heart beat faster. Like all of my kin, his palms and fingers were rough with work, callouses from his swords.

"You can tell me," he whispered and my eyes fluttered open as a deep ache started inside me, twisting my stomach into knots as my gaze slowly met his vibrant blue ones. His eyes were so soft - It took my breath away.

"I -" My tongue felt heavy, a burning running across my skin as I leaned into his touch. He was moving closer to me, his other hand skimming down my arm to play gently along the back of my hand. I could barely think. A short kind of desperation tingled through my veins as I turned my hand so that my fingers could tangle with his. What was going on? What was he doing?

Slowly, Fili's head tipped to the side, his eyes darkening and flicking from my eyes to my lips. _Was he-?_

"Morning!" I gasped, reeling away from Fili as an elderly hobbit wheeling a barrel filled with an assortment of vegetables. My mind felt like it had just been shot through with electricity. Beside me, I heard a deep growling curse in Khuzdul as I tore my hand away from Fili's.

" _Bak-_ " I hastily switched from Khuzdul to the common tongue as the hobbit blinked, his eyes flicking from me to just over my shoulder. Against my back, I could feel Fili hovering closely. "G -good morning, Master Hobbit."

There was a long pause. I could hear my own heart beating as I tried to gulp down a solid breath of air. My insides felt like they were having a world-class match inside of me. With a short nod and one last critical once over the hobbit moved on, his eyes staying on us until he went around a bend.

Gathering what little courage and sanity I had left, I turned, my eyes glued to the grass at my feet as I felt a burning blush sear my cheeks.

"Than-thank you," I stuttered, wincing. Against my face, I _felt_ Fili's gaze. "Thank you for your concern, my prince. It - I -"

My mouth snapped closed with a dull _clack_ as I felt my cheeks flare even hotter. The only answer was retreat. I dipped into a low curtsy, stumbling away and toward the lane.

"Tori." I stopped dead in my tracks, gulping thickly as I turned slowly to meet Fili's amused gaze. Smirking, he nodded toward my feet. "Your boots."

"Oh. Um." I stopped. There was nothing I could do to make myself look any better. I scurried past him, hurrying back into the hobbit's house after quickly yelling, "Thank you," before slamming the door shut.

My head felt like it was buzzing duly, vibrating on top of my neck like a bee's wings as it flew. He had some kind of magic about him. Taking a calming breath, I pressed a cool hand to my flaming face. There would be no staying away from him - not for the entirety of the quest. There would also be no way that I could be near him. My eyes wandered to the left, staying on the circular entrance that I knew would lead to the main sitting parlor. That was where most of the dwarves. That room held Thorin.

I gulped, hurrying down the hall and slipping into my room where my brothers still slept. Hopping over Ori's snoring form, I dragged on my fur-lined boots that were sitting snuggly beside the fire, collecting coal powder. Someone had taken them off of me last night. My best guess was Dori. Although Nori had gone to an inn yesterday, there was still much to find - things that could only be acquired at a market.

Grabbing my pack, I quietly left the room, straightening out my hair and clothing as I went. It was astonishing that Fili hadn't run away from me - much less _touched_ me - when I had been in such a state of disrepair. My undershirt had been half untucked from my skirt, my leggings bunched and wrinkled and my vest buttoned in some places and unbuttoned in others. I gritted my teeth as I tried to comb through the wild mess of my hair, finally leaving it in its usual poof of thick curls.

"Please," I prayed as I peeked around the front door, my eyes darting around quickly as I took in the empty front lawn. Fili had left, either took go do some last-minute preparations or to tend to getting a pony for his brother and himself. Either way, it was in my best interest.

Slinging my bag, over my shoulder, I scurried down the walkway, nearly sprinting along the gravel roads. There was no way that I was getting accosted by Fili again. Lost in my own thoughts, I trudged along the small little lanes, stopping occasionally to move out of the way of hobbits as they shuffled past. Their gazes were unyielding and they made my skin itch. And appreciate little Bilbo all the more. Although not unwelcoming - No. That was the wrong way to think about it. They were _too_ welcoming. At every turn, every idle look that turned to being appalled then curiously horrified, I realized that there was no way that I would ever be able to stay more than a day here.

"Are you-" Another hobbit, a younger one that was tall for his kind - almost as tall as me, in fact - had stopped right in the middle of the lane. His eyes sparkled with wonder as he shuffled nearer to me. "Don't see many of you around these parts."

I forced a smile, scooting away from him as he got uncomfortably close.

"Yes, um," I blurted out. "Do you - by chance - know where the market is? If there is one, that is?"

His brows went up. "Market? You want to - Very good than. I can - if you would like for me to-"

"Just the directions will be fine," I cut in quickly, clearly shocking the hobbit. Apparently not accepting company wasn't a particularly common thing.

"Yes, well, very well then," the hobbit said, blinking quickly before gesturing down the lane to where the path forked out, one sloping down and the other up the hill. "Just take that one down to where the twin trees curve over the pathway and then you'll see a blue little house. There you'll go around the back-"

I stared at him dubiously. That sounded a lot like trespassing.

"Take the path until you come to a pond then you should see it!" He finished with a cheery smile and a twinkle to his eyes. I hesitated, staring in the direction that he had indicated. It wasn't remembering the directions that I had a problem with, it was the directions themselves. They sounded...unreliable.

"Thank you, master hobbit," I said stiffly, giving him a quick curtsy.

"Say hello to the Bracegirdies!" He called after me and for a moment I worried that he would try to tag along behind me. "Their daughter's just a wee thing. My mother runs a bakery down there so just mention me and you should get a deal. Bungo Goodbody!"

I threw another strained thanks over my shoulder, nearly running down the lane and over the crest of the hill to the pathway below. Strange, strange creatures these hobbits were. It was odd that they were so… I shook my head.

Although the directions seemed untrustworthy, I came across every landmark. In no less than five minutes I was standing in front of a massive market area, the stalls just opened and the streets barely with anyone at all. Small little cottages made with oak clustered snuggling against each other, their doors open and their keepers already busy trying to set up. From where I stood, I could see the Goodbody's bakery, a stout woman ordering two children about as they hurried to get out all the morning pastries. There were vegetable stalls lined with fresh beans and hanging parcels of garlic and lavender and steaming bread stalls.

It was lovely. I smiled, hurrying to collect the things that I needed. By the time that I was done, I was loaded down with baskets and sacks. I couldn't so much as see in front of me with the parcels in blocking my view.

As promised, Bungo's name had earned me three dozen still warm pastries for a measly amount. And once I had mentioned him to the Bracegirides, I had received some fresh bread and fruit for just as cheap. By the time, I lumbered away with my load, my cheeks were red with excitement. Nori would be absolutely delighted at my conquest.

"Oh my," a small hobbit woman whispered, scurrying to the side as I tromped along down the lane, Mister Baggins' door just insight.

A nay pierced the morning air. The day had finally broken, the sun yawning over the horizon as it stretched to reach sleepily over the hills.

"Tori!" Quickly my arms were emptied, my brothers gathering around me as I came to stand just in front of the gate.

The others had woken long ago, it seemed and gone to work immediately, gathering ponies from neighbors and others that were willing to sell them. The beasts grazed leisurely at the meadow just beside Bilbo's small, little home, their eyes drooping with sleep. Most of the others had already hauled their stuff up onto the animals. Bags littered the area, clustered together beside a few dwarves that milled about.

Dwarves weren't necessarily early risers. They kept all sorts of hours, not needing much sleep and being able to take it fairly anywhere compared to other creatures. Like hobbits. My eyes strayed to the cottage door, lingering on the firmly closed edges. I didn't see Bilbo anywhere.

"We thought you had run off," Dori said and I saw Nori roll his eyes as he riffled through a bag filled with parsnips and radishes.

"Nori said you didn't," Ori told me quietly, peeking into the large, wicker basket that I still held, his nose twitching.

"Well, what has Nori ever known?" Dori snapped, straightening my gray vest and trying to smoothe out my wild mass of hair.

"Just getting breakfast," I cut in quickly as Nori's head snapped up, his eyes feverish as his mouth snapped open to reply to Dori.

It had been difficult living in a house with my three older brothers, two of whom couldn't go a single statement without arguing. Hell, they had once got into a full-blown brawl over whether it would rain or not. It was part of the reason (maybe more than part) that Nori had left home. The other part was also initiated by our eldest brother.

" _I'm tired of cleaning up after you like you're a babe! Without me, you would barely be able to wipe your bum much less feed yourself."_

It had been a short declaration but one that had stemmed a fury that I was astonished at. Nori had nearly torn our house apart in his rage. The next day, his bags had been packed and I had been left to hastily follow.

I had never thought about how losing two of the people that he had raised would affect Dori.

"Your favorite," I said softly, nudging a cinnamon carrot muffin topped with sugar into his stubby hands. His eyes softened to the color of a cool pond. Giving me a gentle pat on the head, he prodded me into handing out the rest of the dwarves. I had gotten a fair bit more than I had needed to and it was a good thing because Bombur took five.

"So this is where you ran off to." I startled at the voice, suddenly realizing that I had made my way all the way around the meadow to where Fili and Kili stood.

If it were even possible, he looked more appealing than he had this morning, his hair combed down, braids tangled up in them so that only the smallest wisps fell across his forehead and around his ears. I gulped, the wicker basket crunching as my hands constricted around it. In my mind, I had always thought that I would go for the sort like Kili who never seemed to be able to grow a beard no matter what he did. My mouth suddenly felt dry. I had been terribly wrong in that assumption.

My fingertips itched as Fili's lips tipped into a mischievous smirk, the braids in his trim goatee twitching up as well. His loose shirt fell open around the collar, revealing a smattering of blonde hair and trim muscles. Bloody hell.

"Take what you want," I blurted out, shoving the basket at the brothers as Kili's brows raised.

"Whatever I want?" Fili's voice had dropped lower, his eyes staying on me even as I tried to force the basket on him. Heat coiled along my skin, my breath constricting in my chest. Slowly, his calloused hands curled around mine right where it held the wicker handle. I couldn't breathe.

"Brother." Kili's whispered warning broke through the moment, my hands snapping away from Fili's with such force that the basket went tumbling to the ground, pastries littering the grass.

"Damn," I hissed, sliding to my knees to try and salvage what I could.

"Feeling a bit clumsy today, Tori?" I gulped at the dark rumble, my body freezing. Nervously, my eyes traveled over the well-worn pants and leather jacket and up, up, up to the dark face of Thorin Oakenshield. "Will you be well enough to travel the beaten roads or are your higher sentiments too weary?"

My lips pressed together, my fingers clenching. He was talking about my elven blood.

"Uncle-" Fili started, his voice hard and his eyes even harder as he turned his full attention on his uncle. I got to my feet quickly as Thorin paid his nephew the same courtesy, his eyes thunderous as they turned on the younger dwarf.

"I am fine, my king," I forced out, trying discretely to step between the two. I failed miserably, Thorin's eyes caught onto the action immediately, his lips thinning and his eyes narrowing. It also didn't help that I felt Fili step closer, his now-familiar scent comforting me in ways that I didn't want to admit. "Thank you for your concern."

"You've signed the contract?" Internally, I let out a short breath of relief. He hadn't decided to pursue Fili and my - My mind rebelled against the idea. Nothing. We had nothing. Silly dwarf girl. Jerkily, I nodded, blurting out a quick, "yes," under his resulting glare. With one final glance (an uncomfortably long a searching one that made my skin itch and me to grow uncomfortably aware of how close Fili was actually standing) Thorin turned decisively, calling out a roaring command for Gloin and Oin who were both watching the scene with disdain. Everyone was watching. My throat constricted as I saw the general looks of disapproval. On Balin's face. I gulped. Even on my brother's faces. Heat burned my face, sweat popping from my pores as my eyes swiveled to the grass at my feet.

"You made a mess of things there," I heard Kili grumble from behind me and I flinched.

"I will talk to my uncle-" Fili started, his voice deep and reassuring as his hand gently came to rest at the small of my back. I whipped around, breaking contact.

"Don't!" The words flew from me before I could stop them, Fili's eyes darkening ominously, his hand still outstretched. Hurriedly, I went to correct myself, my fingers knotting together. "There's nothing to talk about. He is my king and you are my prince. I will follow where I need to and do as you command. There's nothing more to be known. Nothing more than that to our relationship."

I made sure to emphasize the last part, dragging my eyes to connect with his. We both knew that I didn't only mean Thorin. There would be nothing to our relationship other than this quest. We may have played when we were small but those days were far gone. I was who I was and he was who he was. Fili's lips thinned, his cornflower blue eyes striking through with gray, swirling until I thought that they resembled the sea when it was about to thunder rather than clear, blue skies. The muscles around his brows tensed as his lips curled down.

I couldn't look at him anymore. Curtsying swiftly, I scurried away, the last thing heard came from Kili: "Just a _series_ of messes, brother."

I had to agree with him. It was a good thing that this mess knew how to clean herself up and get to the nearest exit before something worse happened.

"Where's my horse?" I asked, taking a deep breath as I pushed the wild mass of my hair out of my face. All of my brothers shifted where they stood, their hands pausing in various activities that they had taken upon my approach to make it seem like they weren't staring at the earlier exchange. My eyes flicked from one to the other, all of whom looked like they were very, very uncomfortable. I rubbed a hand over my neck, squeezing my eyes shut.

" _Halwa Aule_ ," I hissed. "Do _not_ tell me that you've completely forgotten the fact that I need something to ride on if I intend to get to the mountains."

"Forgotten is a tricky word," Dori said, his eyes flicking to Nori who snorted, his eyes intent on fixing up the saddle to a maple colored pony who nickered.

"An incorrect word," my red-headed brother snorted, tightening the flank billet around the ponies belly.

"We could only find three," Ori said quickly, his words timid as his fingers flicked through his notebook, his wide, watery eyes never leaving me. Behind him a black mare, stomped her hooves, tonguing the grass that it kicked up.

I threw my hands up, heat searing my neck as I jabbed my hands at them. "And _no one_ could find one extra bloody pony?! In the whole of this dingy, little patch of-"

"Tori!" My mouth snapped shut immediately, my hands clenching by my side at the deep commanding presence, a big hand grabbing a hold of my bicep in a harsh hold. I bowed my head, embarrassment tightening my intestines. Could this trip be starting anymore _fabulously_? "I'm sure that the hobbits that were kind enough to offer us these animals would be less than thrilled to hear you talking about their home in such a way. But by all means, continue."

A lump formed in my throat as angry, ashamed tears burned my eyes. On the grass, Ori looked just as ashamed as I did, both Nori and Dori frowning. If I could have dissolved into a fine powder at that moment and gone with the wind, I would have.

"Dwalin, that's enough," a deep voice rumbled from behind me, sounding like the roll of thunder before a great downpour. Hands shoved Dwalin's bigger ones away from me, warmer, more comforting ones taking my place as Fili dragged me to his side. I gulped as Fili stared directly at him, both of them never wavering.

"Fili," I whispered anxiously, grasping at his sleeve. We were drawing attention again. Dammit, this was the day wasn't it?

"Very good, my prince." With one last considering look, Dwalin nodded, walking away to where his brother was waiting with raised brows. I let out a slow breath, nearly sagging into Fili's side as his shoulders softened. There was always a right to the throne - no one would take that away from heirs. But the path there for dwarves was often rocky. Prideful, none of them would be ruled by someone weak. Fili had long past the age where submission was considered acceptable.

"Your horse is that one over there," Fili whispered, his voice gravelly and more than a little tired. Across the meadow, Thorin's eyes were hawk-like as he watched his nephew, barely seeming to listen to Gloin and Oin as they spoke to him. Fili nodded to a pony a bit away from everyone else, it's coat an auburn hue and her eyes intense as her eyes flicked from the grass at her feet to the other animals. "Your temperament seemed similar."

My lips thinned at the snipe, my eyes flicking up to glare into his blue ones, lit by amusement. Tingles fizzed up my arm as his fingers gently played along the back of one of my hands, absentmindedly. Electricity sparked through my mind at the touch.

"But there are-" My mind only totaled in sixteen ponies - two of which were being used to carry other supplies. That left only one spare. Which was supposed to be used for Bilbo.

"The hobbit doesn't seem to be joining us today," Fili cut in, his head tipping to the side as his lips quirked up. "Or for the remainder of the quest."

"I highly disagree with you, my young prince." I turned slightly, shivering as Fili's fingers slipped through mine, his side pressing warmly against my own. Gandalf sat astride a grey stead, it's main twined around his long fingers as he stared down at us.

Although the wizard's eyes held their usual merry twinkle, there was a layer of steel, the pipe in his lips hanging from the corner of his lips as smoke swirled into the air. Fili's thumb ran calming circles on the back of my hand as his uncle strode forward to talk to the wizard whose eyes briefly flicked to our intertwined hands. Why did I feel so comfortable from this touch alone? My nerves had been so frenzied before but now… I turned my gaze to the blonde-haired dwarf, his face smooth and calm as he watched the interaction. He looked more at ease as well - happier. Or was that my own wishful thinking?

"Our opinions on the hobbit obviously differ, Gandalf," Thorin was saying and I forced myself to turn back to the scene. "But we both must agree that it is past dawn and we need to begin our trek if we plan on making it to the mountains."

Gandalf's lips tipped down at the statements, his gnarled fingers twisting in the horse's' mane even more as his eyes snapped to the hobbits, round, green door, the mark still bright in the morning light.

"Hmm," Gandalf murmured, clearly displeased. "Very well."

With a stiff nod, Thorin turned around. " _Khrub'egam mun!_ " Angry eyes flicked over to Fili and I and I suddenly became acutely aware of my hand in Fili's. What was wrong with me? Slowly, my fingers untangled from his and beside me, I heard him give a deep sigh.

"Come on, _buntanut_ ," he whispered softly and I decided to not talk about the fact that he had just called me kitten. Along with all his other pet names. Lips thinned, I followed him over to the auburn mare, her back already heavy with my bags. "Up you go."

Big hands circled my waist, lifting me effortlessly onto the mares back without her spooking. Beautiful blue eyes glittered up at me, one of his hands resting warmly high on my thigh.

" _Khamanmenin_ ," I whispered, trying to not let the shake in my voice show as he gave a short nod and me one final smirk before he was going back to his horse. He was making me crazy. Him and his stupid eyes and his stupid hair and his sweet words. I bit my lips, spurring my pony over to where my brothers were, all of them saddled up.

"Ready, _zarisi_?" I hissed out a breath at the old nickname. _Twig_ \- skinny as a twig was what the dwarves had always loved to tease me with. It wasn't my fault that I was the way I was. I was never able to put on the pounds that the others did.

Throwing Nori a glare, I wheeled my horse, her hooves stomping against the soft meadow grass as she gave a snort, tossing her mane. Lucky for me, Fili had given her a bridle and reigns for me. Not so lucky was that she was very temperamental and kept throwing her head back at every tug of the reigns.

"Are you all settled, Tori?" Dori called, shifting closer to Ori so that he could adjust my brother's hands on the reigns.

"She fine," Nori snapped, wheeling his pony around and in between Ori and Dori's horses so that they had to part with a neigh. Dori's lips quirked down as Ori's did the opposite, forcing me to choke on my own laughter. My red-headed brother jabbed a finger at our eldest brother, his brows furrowed. "Stop babying them. They don't need to be coddled like kittens or piglets wandering around mewing for milk. They're old enough to-"

"Oh shut up, you hypocritical brat-" Dori snarled, swatting at Nori whose horse skittered away as he reigned it in.

"Hypocritical?" Nori's face twisted with astonishment. "There you go using big words when you don't know the mean-"

"Move out!" Thorin roared, breaking the obvious fight that was about to begin between my brothers who still shot each other murderous glares as we fell into line.

And so the journey began, the roar of the other dwarves startling hobbits out of the pathway. All along the quiet lane, the little folk were starting their daily routes, the chimneys huffing out great billows of smoke. Barrels overflowing with vegetables were being carted down the lanes, deliveries of fresh bread and the like being taken to every door. They were very quaint people. I tipped my head to the side as my eyes caught on a rosy-cheeked hobbit with a muddy petticoat and a tangled snatch of blonde hair. She was reading a leatherbound book at her doorstep, her eyes wide as she watched us pass by.

What a life they had. For the first time, I wondered what they did - other than run their small, little shops in their small, little shire with their families and fires. What could their lives be like in their comfy. little hobbit holes with their couches and pillows and West Farthing crockery.

"What are you thinking of, _hamumal amrul_?" I didn't startle at the gravelly voice, my eyes staying on a pair of girls passing by, their large, hairy feet peeking out from beneath their hems, their noses red from the summer sun. My skin had long since become accustomed to that same heat although my skin never seemed to grow darker.

"Is it possible?" I whispered, my voice low as a stout man with a wild mane of auburn curls poked his head overtop of a row of green beanstalks.

"What?" My eyes finally turned to meet Fili's, his gaze deep and penetrating.

"To have a life like this. Only knowing about the world through books?" I shook my head, turning back to look at the homes.

"They do it every single day," he said softly and I shook my head again. It was incomprehensible to me. How could they so idly stay here - reading and speaking about distant lands that they had never touched or seen for themselves.

Soon we broke from the Shire, coming down from the hills to the valley below and then eventually breaking into the forest. The hobbits were becoming farther and farther from our grasps. I closed my eyes, trying to mute as much of the squabbling around me. Bilbo wasn't going to be coming anytime soon. Not unless he-

"WAIT!" I blinked, my head whipping up and around at the thin, reedy voice. It couldn't possibly - "WAAAAAIIIITTT!"

My mouth flopped open at the curly head of hair that was bounding towards us, his large feet slamming across the dirt as he worked hard to get to us. A fine sheen of sweat covered his face and neck, dampening the hazel curls at his temple.

"By my stars," I whispered in wonder as the hobbit came to a halt directly in front of us.

"Not such a simplistic life than," Fili whispered, clearly amused as his horse came to a stop beside mine.

"Not such a simplistic hobbit," I said quietly, catching his grin.

"I signed it," Bilbo said triumphantly, holding up the piece of parchment with a grin.

Looking to Thorin for confirmation, Balin took the contract in hand and inspects it with a pocket glass. Unlike the rest, he seemed to be more in favor of the little hobbit. I bit my lip as Balin's eyes moved over the document. Briefly, his eyes flicked up to me, his brows raised. I shrugged.

"Everything appears to be in order," Balin finally said with a smile, pocketing the contract as Bilbo grinned gleefully around. "Welcome, Master Baggins, to the company of Thorin Oakenshield."

Cheers filled the air, some of the dwarves pumping their firsts. Beside me, Fili clapped slowly, his eyes meeting mine.

"Barely half of the battle is won," he murmured, shifting on his pony. I tipped my head to the side, watching carefully as Thorin gave an indulgent smile.

"Give him a pony." My stomach dropped. Sixteen ponies. Fourteen of which were already in use.

"Bloody hell," I grumbled, my hands tightening on the reigns before I gave a sigh.

"Come on, To-" I yelped as strong arms coiled around my waist, Nori's sentence cut off as he stared at the utter abomination that was taking place at that moment.

"Fili, let me down," I gritted out, my chest pressed to his in a rather compromising position as he dragged me onto his saddle. His eyes sparkled up at me, one of his hands going to sit lowly in the hollow of my back. He looked like he was having far too much fun.

"Where do you intend to go, kitten?" He whispered, his eyes flicking for a brief moment to my lips. My blood boiled beneath my skin, an uncomfortable ache starting deep inside me as I tried to wiggle away from him.

"With one of my brothers," I hissed, my fingers splayed across his chest. The idea only seemed to amuse him more.

"That won't be necessary." The words rumbled through his chest into mine causing a deep burn to well up in my throat.

"You-" Before I could continue, he was shifting me, his fingers splayed widely across my hips as he turned me effortlessly so that my back was to his front. One of his hands stayed there, the tips of his fingers coming dangerously close to some very intimate places as the other nudged the reins into my hands.

"Take hold of these for a moment?" I shivered at the hot blow of his breath in the hollow of my ear, flushing.

The hobbit was babbling on about something, I realized my mind thick with agitation as we neared him. "I-I-I've done my fair share of walking holidays, you know. I even got as far as Frogmorton. Once - WAGH!"

Behind me, Fili didn't so much as let out a breath as he grabbed beneath the hobbit's arms, lifting so that the bewildered fellow could be plopped into the saddle. There were some disturbing similarities that were starting to pop up between myself and the hobbit, I thought dejectedly as Fili settled in behind me once more.

"Feeling good, pet?" I sneered at the name.

"Peachy," I growled, huffing as Fili's, big stupid arms caged me in. Stupid dwarf. I should bite him and hop onto the nearest horse.

But he smelt good. And the damage had already been done. All of the others were looking back at us like we had grown extra limbs. I grimaced, bowing my head. _Damn him._

* * *

**_Hello! I am Mylovelylions and here is your khuzdul - a - chapter lesson! Let's start with the basics and pretty soon you'll be speaking the language of the dwarves like a pro. *winks*_ **

_Kulhu imhel: What am I doing?_

_Kuf: Why?_

_Halwal Aule: Sweet Aule_

_Khrub'egam mun!: Saddle up!_

_Buntanut: Kitten_

_Khamanmenin: Thank you_

_Zarisi: Twig_

_Hamumal amrul: little love_


	6. Interesting

"I really liked that pony," I whispered glumly, staring at the back of the hobbit's head as my pony reared her head again, nickering. The others had gotten over the oddity of seeing Fili and me on the same horse (thank the Valar.) Although some of them seemed to be keeping an eye on us. Notably, my own brothers.

We had long since broken free from the Shire to enter the rugged highlands just outside of it's borders. It was the last bit of quiet we would get before we broke into the mountain terrain and into harsher areas. A cool breeze ruffled through my hair and I winced as I tried to reign it away from smacking Fili in the face.

"Sorry," I mumbled, glaring down at the errant curls as my fingers became ensnared in their depths.

"I like it." My breath stuttered for a moment, my head turning slowly so that I could stare up at him. Standing significantly taller than me on the ground, Fili's whole build was impressive enough that I felt like I was being engulfed, his fur-lined jacket open so that I could see the tensing of his muscles against my back. Heat rolled up my neck. It wasn't an altogether unappealing thing. Slowly, his crystal clear blue eyes moved to connect with mine, a lazy smile curling his lips. "Your hair."

"I-Um." No one had ever said that to me. I didn't know what to say. Instead, staring dumbly up at him seemed like the best option.

"I remember something…" He murmured thoughtfully, his brows suddenly narrowing and his eyes sharpening. Realization dawned on me with the accuracy of an anvil on steel. Gruffly, I looked away, my hand going to stop his much larger one from creeping any farther up my thigh.

"I'm sure," I started tartly, glaring unseeingly at the dwarves in front of us. "That you're remembering how very _un_ appealing my hair was for you when we were little."

I certainly did. It had been a constant taunt when I was in the mountains.

"...Hm." Anger rolled through me. This idiot prince with his stupid face and his stupid words and his stupid-

"Hm?" I snapped. "That's all you've got to say for yourself? You called me every name in the book."

"I don't feel like I should be getting all the blame on this one."

I twisted around, snarling up at him. "You're the only one here at the moment."

For a moment, he stared down at me, his eyes calculating. Then he was leaning forward, his eyes traveling slowly to my lips and then back up again, darkening. "Fine, Tori."

"Fine what?" I choked out, my fingers curling involuntarily into his.

"Fine; I'm sorry," he whispered, his breath warm against my lips and his eyes going heavy lidded. "Fine; I was a stupid kid. And fine - I love your hair now."

A lump strangled all the smart retorts that I had, his sweet scent confusing my mind. That was...a _really_ good apology.

"That-" I coughed, forcing myself to look away from him and break his close contact. "Apology semi-accepted."

"Semi?" he mused and I shivered as I felt his words warm my ear.

"You called me carrot top," I snapped, my nose wrinkling up as I remembered the imperious look on his face as he stared down at me. "And said that instead of the torches we could just have me streak through the halls of the mountain."

I huffed at that one, ignoring what I thought sounded a lot like a strangled laugh. He had been a mean one. And his words had cut more than I would or could ever admit. He was my dream when we were growing up. It was hard to know that your prince charming was repulsed by the sight of you. I shifted, suddenly very uncomfortable in my own skin, tugging my coat closer around me.

Silence held for a moment. With every second that ticked by, my skin began to itch more and more. I was great at ruining the mood apparently. Whatever mood we had going for us. Gulping, I brought a hand up to run belatedly through my hair, self-consciously tucking it behind my ears. I wished I could let go of the past - forget about it like Fili and Kili and all the others had seemed to. In truth, I thought I had. The more distance that my brother and I had gained, the farther away all those years had become. I had thought that I was new, all the grime polished away. But coming back to these dwarves…

Fili's hand jerked me from my thoughts, his fingers rough and warm as they still my fingers that had gone to knotting my hair, gently untangling it so that he could toy with it. Breath lodged thickly in my throat as his eyes caught mine.

"Then you can be semi-mad at me for as long as you want to, _hamumal amrul_ ," he murmured softly, his word like warm honey. "I'll still love your hair. Even if it is bright enough to light the halls of Erebor."

"You're pompous," I snarled out, trying to keep down the wave of irrational butterflies that were rolling through me as he brought a couple strands of my hair to his lips. "And I don't like you."

"That's okay," he whispered with an irritatingly knowing smile. "I like you."

"Give me that back." I yanked my hair out of his grip, scooting forward as far as I could on the saddle and slapping the hand on my thigh away. "Don't look at me. Don't talk to me. Don't even _think_ about me, Fili of Durin's line. This is a quest. Not some run down, dodgy inn on the other side of an orc hovel. Stop trying to weasel your way-"

I stopped myself, my mouth slamming shut as I realized the implications that I was making. He was still my prince. No matter how annoying he was being.

"My way where, Tori?" I gritted my teeth at his nearness, my mind fluttering as I felt the hand that wasn't holding the reigns curl around my hip. I didn't say anything. His hand tightened. "Where?"

"Into my sleeping bag!" I hissed, my face flaming. That was all he wanted right? How could he go from being so utterly revolted by my very existence to suddenly being infatuated with me? It was stupid. There had to be motives. I bowed my head, staring hard at my hands as they went white on the leather horn.

Fili took a breath, his hand suddenly loosening on my hip and slipping. This would make him stop all this nonsense. Getting my hopes up - I squeezed my eyes shut. The wind ruffled through the trees, drizzles of sunlight falling through the cover of the canopies. Hooves crunched rhythmically down on the gravel roads.

"He read your letters." I blinked, my brows furrowing as I turned to stare up at Fili who was staring pointedly at the forest around us.

"What?" Red seeped up the fair haired dwarves' neck, scorching his nose as his eyes narrowed and he gave a cough.

"Your letters. The ones that you sent home. Dori would read them aloud to Ori when they came to eat in the great hall." Wind rippled through his hair, his beads clacking against each other as his eyes slowly turned to meet mine. "I heard them and… I… You're very interesting."

"Interesting?" My tongue rebelled against the word. That was hardly a compliment. His cheeks reddened even more as his lips twisted.

"What do you want me to say, Tori?" he grumbled, his eyes swirling with deadliness.

"The truth," I whispered, a giddy kind of excitement lighting inside of me as I saw his eyes flick around and his fingers knot the reigns.

"Are you trying to rile me?" He eyed me suspiciously and I grinned, turning even more in the saddle. For once in the conversation, I felt like I was in control. He was flustered.

"Are you trying to avoid the question?"

"I didn't hear one posed."

"Fine. What did you think of my letters? Truthfully."

"Truthfully I thought you were crazy," he snapped, his dark eyes clapping with mine as he lashed out, one of his big hands curling possessively around my knee. "I thought that a girl that used to be in danger of falling off the side of a bloody mountain, shouldn't be on the lamb from goblins and ogres and Valar knows what else. I thought that the girl that used to cry every time you probed her a little with a few jabs about her hair color, shouldn't be taking up in inns that likely didn't have locks or anything else in the form of protection and a bit of safety. I thought that you were stupid and irrational and so damned sweet that I had to get to know you."

By the time that he was done, his breath was ragged and so was mine. I felt like I had just run a mile and I had whiplash, my head a dizzying array of different possibilities and circumstances. But above all that, I was unbelievably happy. I was so happy that I wanted to lean forward and kiss him even though he looked mad enough to strangle me.

I restrained a smile, watching as his eyes narrowed.

"Interesting," I murmured, turning back to face the front before a goofy grin took hold.

"Interesting?" he grumbled in question, sounding highly annoyed.

"Mm," I whispered in agreement. "Just so."

After a pause, Fili let out a breath. "Does this mean you're forgiven me completely?"

I laughed softly, shaking my head. "Not at all."


	7. The Places We Belong

By the time that we made camp on the high hills, we were a good day's ride from the plains and far enough from the Shire that Bilbo had receded into his own shell. He was quiet and at every turn we made, his head would slowly turn to the distant valleys of his home. I didn't understand his forlornness. Even though I was half-elf, it had been impressed upon me that the Blue Mountains were never meant to be permanent. I didn't know what a home felt like, not in the way that Master Baggins seemed to.

"I'm losing my patience with the hobbit," Fili murmured to me as he slid from our pony, his hands wrapping comfortably around my waist even as he kept a keen eye on Master Baggins.

"Why?" I inquired, glancing around at the rest of the company curiously. Aside from the bit of a tantrum that he had had when he had found his pockets devoid of all handkerchiefs, he had been relatively quiet, talking softly with Gandalf when the wizard could afford the time.

At the moment, he was taking diligent care of my pony. He seemed like a kindly sort and although he had inquired quite a bit about when we were going to be having tea and eating. And also showering. And dirt. Basically everything. Still - though he had complained - it wasn't as much as I would have thought. And when he got his answer there was no argument and the topic was put to bed. We could have done worse.

"He will gripe and groan until his head hits the ground," Fili said darkly, his eyes strikingly deadly as he stared across the area at the hobbit, his hands still resting softly around my waist. "Then he will toss and turn and shiver until he's so exhausted that he can do nothing but sleep. And tomorrow he will wake up and the whole ordeal will repeat itself."

I stared up at the golden haired dwarf in front of me, for a moment trying to digest the savage look that colored his eyes to an arctic chill.

"I think you might be being a little hard on the hobbit," I finally said, softening my voice as his eyes snapped to me. Around my waist, I felt his fingers flex as he silently took in my words.

This kind of cowering and griping wasn't the dwarven way and I could understand why Fili was angered by it. The hobbit was torn down by a simple journey - one that would end in a few months, a year at the most - and we had barely left the shire. It had been countless years since the dwarves of Durin's line had been journeying. They had a home but were unable to go back to it. It must have been incredibly agitating to have someone so unreliable to count on something so vital to the final leg of the journey.

"He is risking his life for us, uzbadu men," I added, bringing a hand forward to run gently along his forearm.

For a moment, he didn't say anything, his eyes softening. There was such gentleness there that for a moment, I caught my breath.

"We're all risking our lives," he whispered and my eyes fluttered shut as his fingers skated softly along my cheek. "The hobbit doesn't get a pass just because he found out later than we did."

And then he was moving past me, whispering to the pony as he unloaded her burden. It shook me to the core. My eyes drifted to the hobbit, his eyes forlorn as he took his time with my mare. He looked like he didn't know what to do. He had wanted adventure and now that he had it, it seemed like he didn't really want it.

But everyone needed a friend.

"Master hobbit," I called, taking my pack from the horse and striding toward the startled fellow with a smile. "How are you faring? Has everything turned out as you hoped?"

For a moment, Bilbo eyed me suspiciously, seemingly incredulous at my willingness to talk with him. "...Yes. Yes, very well. Um, er… And yourself, Miss Tori?"

"You have a good memory, Master Baggins." My hands began to pick at the straps weighing down the horse. I wasn't quite sure that he knew how to take down a horse's burden. His eyes were intent on my movements as I took out the bridle, careful of her teeth as she shook her head and huffed. She definitely didn't like the headpiece. "But you seem to be very bad at lying."

"Ex-excuse me." I leaned around the horse to give him a reassuring smile. He looked like he was being hunted.

"How are you faring? Truly?" We worked in silence for a moment; me removing piece by piece of packs and straps and Bilbo setting them neatly near the tree that the mare was tethered to.

The hobbits mouth opened and closed as I waited patiently, brushing a hand through the mare's main. "It's very far from home," he finally whispered, sounding close to tears.

"There's still time to get out of this," I whispered for his ears only and out of the corner of my eyes I saw the gray figure of the wizard tip towards us. All the others had begun to set up camp, laying out their blankets and starting a fire. Across the camp, Fili's eyes caught me and I could see the quiet criticism there. I focused down on brushing out the mares fur, watching as her eyes went drowsy. "If there is a single doubt in your mind - one bit of resistance to our cause - then you should air it. And leave."

Calmly, I met his scared eyes. He didn't know why I was telling him this, I could see that swirling through them. And more than that, he was beginning to realize that he was involved in something that he didn't fully understand.

"Why does this mean so much? Is it the gold? The honor?" I pursed my lips at the questions.

"I suppose it has something to do with the honor." I smiled. "The gold isn't anything to scoff at either… But… But more than that, it's about home. Our home. Some place that we feel safe. Some place that we can own rather than borrow. We just want what everyone else is born with, Master Baggins. Not to rob or to take or to fight and die without ever knowing what security feels like. What you've come home to every single day, away from the rain and scorn and worry."

I finally looked up from the mares soft fur, meeting his soft eyes with a half-hearted smile. "I'm sure you can understand that, can you not, Bilbo?"

Finally - There would be a place where we could rest away from the world just for a little while. I could taste the sweetness of it on my tongue, lulling a part of my mind that I had ignored for a very long time into a start of blissful ignorance.

"Yes - Yes." The hobbit coughed, looking away from my invasive stare quickly. His voice was so choked that for a moment I felt sorry for him. He didn't know this kind of pain. It was a longing that very few had to experience. He turned, facing in the general direction that we had traveled. The sun peaked over the bends, whispering through the trees to die them the color of burning coals. A warm kind of coolness entered the air as the final gasp of the day receded with the sun. "Yes, Miss Tori. I can understand very well."

Perhaps all was not lost on our burglar after all. Nodding, I slung my bag over my shoulder and started in the direction of my brothers.

"Wait!" I turned, glancing back at the hobbit who had his head bent over his pack in concentration. Briefly, his eyes flicked up to meet mine, a few curls falling across his forehead. "Before you go… I've been meaning to ask you… Do all dwarf women look like you?"

Shock made my eyes go wide, my muscles seizing up. Quickly, the hobbit hurried to correct himself. "No - I mean - You are very pretty! You are -"

"No," I cut him off, stopping him as his face went a fiery red. I blushed, looking away. "No. Not all - Um… There are no others that look like myself, Master Bilbo."

And in that moment I felt so alone and lost that I could have burst into tears.

Before he could ask anymore uncomfortable questions, I hurried away, going to the small bit of space that my brothers had decided to take up. It was located just to the right of a massive overhang that would shade the fire from water. On the other side there was a cluster of trees, shading the hillside.

"Are you okay, Tori?" Ori gently inquired, his eyes concerned as he stopped me, pausing as he rolled out and organized our three sleeping blankets. Dori was already fluttering around Bombur who was heading the cooking for the evening. Both rather adept with herbs and shared the same zeal for the kitchen. Nori was either off gathering wood for the growing fire or hunting with Kili and Dwalin who were all wonderful. "You don't look too good."

"Um, yeah." I blinked, trying to calm myself. I had always known my place. I had also never really discussed it with anyone else. It was just a lot more invasive than I thought it would be. I placed a reassuring hand on my brothers arm, quickly moving past him to roll out my pack. They had left a spot just big enough for me, nearest to the overhang.

And also just beside Fili who was watching me with a critical expression.

"What did he tell you, Tori?" I didn't look up at his words, spoken harshly. Distantly, the wind whistled through the cracks and dips in the mountain, rustling the few trees around us. The sun had set faster than I had expected, the fire already cutting through the dim light. "Amrul?"

My teeth sunk into my lip as I beat out my pillow. Why was it so hard to say? Why did it feel so idiotically embarrassing? Gentle fingers skimmed along my jaw, drawing my attention up into deadly blue eyes. He was angry. I gulped, softly pushing his hand away and rolling under my blankets.

"Tori-"

"Stop," I whispered, shutting my eyes. I didn't want to talk about this. I didn't want to have to tell the prince of Erebor, the heir to the throne of Thorin Oakenshield that I wasn't sure what would become of me after the mountains were reclaimed.

Maybe I would leave again. Maybe Tori would fade out just like she had so many years ago.

"You can tell me-" I hated the gentleness in his voice. I hated it because in that sweetness was an ignorance. He would still be the sweet prince - that would never change. But me - what the hell was I?

"Nothing happened between me and the hobbit," I snapped, turning my back on the rest of the camp so that all I could see was open air and distant mountains. "And even if it had, it is my problem. Good night, Fili."

And with that I shut my eyes and tuned out the quiet shuffle of the rest of the camp.

The next day dawned with rain in the clouds.

"Eat," Fili whispered, grabbing my hand to shove an apple into it. His hair was a ruffled mess and his eyes seemed to be tired and drawn.

"I don't-" I yelped softly as his hands curled around my waist and lifted me effortlessly onto the horse, his gaze unflinching as he stared up at me.

"Eat it, hamamul amrul." There was no give in his stare as one of his hands curled around my thigh and gave it a small squeeze. He had been very drawn all morning, his eyes lowering to the ground every time that Thorin past by. Briefly, I wondered what had happened while I slept last night.

As I watched Fili, his eyes moved restlessly about the camp as the others took everything down and stopped on the hobbit. Slowly, his eyes narrowed, striking through with an angry grey as his mouth thinned. Bilbo looked to be excessively edgy this morning, his eyes flicking around and dark circles already apparent. As Kili laced up his horse beside the hobbit, I saw the little man edge away, pressing into the horse's side.

"Did something happen, my prince?" I asked softly in Khuzdul, drawing his eyes back to me. I didn't like this expression on his face. He looked more like a king with his own world of troubles than I had seen before. I didn't like the lines that marred his brows or the darkness to his usually playful, mocking eyes. "You seem… Is everything alright?"

Before I could think better of it, my fingers were traveling along his cheeks, the stubble shadowing his jaw tickling my fingertips. Astonished, I watched as his eyes drifted shut and he leaned into the touch. My heart constricted. In that moment, I wanted him all to myself. I wanted - I wanted something I shouldn't.

"I just made a mistake," he finally whispered, tipping his head down so that it rested warmly against my thighs, my fingers sliding into his honey hair. "A stupid mistake."

Confusion furrowed my brows. It was odd hearing the boy who had declared his own greatness when we were children say that he had done anything wrong.

"I'm sure it wasn't that bad, Fili," I finally whispered, dragging a hand gently through the soft strands and braids. "If it was really something that terrible than I would have been woken, no?"

He chuckled as I nudged his ear, his eyes flashing up at me. And then he made something that made my breath catch. He turned my hand and pressed a gentle kiss to my palm, whispering something so softly that I didn't catch the words. As it was, the only reason I knew that he was speaking at all was because I could feel the soft flutter of his lips against my skin.

"What?" I asked as he pulled away, trying to catch his gaze but only seeing the slight tip of his lips as he straightened the packs on our mare.

"I said that you need to eat," he said, swinging up behind me and reaching around me to grab the reins.

"You're very bossy," I mumbled as he tapped the apple and I rolled my eyes, finally taking a bite. Until that moment, I hadn't realized how hungry I actually was. "Next time, I'll let you cry and won't come to your rescue like I did today."

"Mm," he murmured and I shivered as I felt the words slide along my ears. "I highly doubt that. But it's cute that you think so, amrul."

I huffed. What a snotty prince I had gotten myself involved with.


	8. Hindsight

_Looking back on it, there were many things that caused a prince from the hills of Ered Luin, born with the rock of Erebor in his veins and a small, lost girl with an unknown father and an unknown mother to become "involved." We could go back to the night when slender fingers, white as snow and delicate as the sapling of a willow left Tori to die in the bushes of a human village. We could even go back farther when a dwarf took the hand of an elf for the first time. But for that, we would need much more time and time, no matter how long your days number, is precious and more valuable than mithril or the three jewels of Silmaril._

_So for now, we'll start in the middle, when the world was not too young but still naive and delicately honest in its simple ways._

* * *

**_Five Years Before..._ **

At first, it was annoying.

"She's written again." Fili could hear the excited whisper of Dori from across the great hall, his low voice and hopeful eyes making the young prince feel a sort of agitation that he rarely knew. It was a weekly ritual - one that was becoming more and more obnoxious as the months past.

Chairs scraped together and food platters were pushed aside as the droning of old dwarves started up. Forget manning the mines or preparing for the oncoming struggles that the dwarves of the Blue Mountains would have to face, they all must listen to the babbling of a half-elf.

"Aren't you coming?" Kili inquired. A young dwarf with few troubles other than the ones that involved steel and the warm glances of the opposite sex, Kili had little on his mind. He didn't harbor the same kind of resentment that Fili and Thorin and some of the older dwarves knew. It was a new kind of age with new kinds of thoughts and ideals. No longer would the dwarves look out through stone windows at the small creatures below their fortresses.

They had been forced out of that life. Forced into hard labor and bargains with humans whose minds were tricky and dark compared to the dwarves' and elves' who had known no other way of life but hard work and honesty.

"She's probably made it past the rivers of _Glandiun_ and _Greyflood_."

In that moment, Fili thought that his brother was the stupidest person who lived in the mountains. _Anyone_ could make it past those rivers. But Kili adored the Tori girl for reasons that completely boggled Fili. For what felt like hours, the young, sunflower haired prince would have to listen to the constant babble of his idiot brother:

"She was always so fast, brother."

"Do you remember how she would climb trees?"

"Why can't you be more like her?"

"I have no one to play with now."

Sending his brother a harsh glare, Fili slid back from the tables and made his way moodily out of the Great Halls. The only thing that had brought him there was the thought that he would get some rest from the drills that both Dwalin and Thorin insisted he take part in. They were prepping him to be the next king like his uncle would drop any day now. As it were, the young prince could barely comprehend Thorin Oakenshield being any other health but the most supreme. He adored his uncle like he would have adored his own father.

"Have I missed it?" _Dis. The mother of both Kili and Fili, future heirs to the throne of Durin, daughter of Thrian, sister of both Frerin and Thorin._ Brown hair stroked through with blonde curled around her face, only held in place by a series of braids. A beard of the same color shadowed her jaw. Her face was angular, her jaw and cheekbones coming from her father and his father before him and passing down to both Fili and Kili. It was the features of the line of Durin, the true heirs. But her eyes - her eyes were her mother's, soft and blue in the lamplight of the halls.

" _Khagun_ ," Fili whispered, bowing his head. It was a reverence that Dis scoffed at for she had only seen it given by her brothers to her own mother.

"Stop that," she snapped, slapping a hand over her sons cheek hard enough that he jerked away. "Do you think I want that kind of greeting from someone who I've seen naked and pooping all over himself?"

Red burst across the young dwarves cheeks as he spluttered. "Mother-"

"This is what I get for leaving you in the care of that big oaf. _Kuna, unna. Lu', unna._ It's like I'm his bloody maid. It's that properness that ran off all the women, I tell you." Her eyes flashed wickedly as she turned to her horror-struck son once more. "Now, how do you address your mother?"

" _Kha-_ " Another hard slap and he cursed under his breath, his eyes watering.

"You answer my question!" Dis exclaimed, grinning at her son's foul mouth and patting his un-bruised cheek lovingly. Her blue eyes lit up with excitement. "Now… Have I missed it?"

"Missed what?" The young dwarf muttered, flinching when his mother's hand moved a fraction. And then glowering as she burst into hysterically happy laughter. How a woman so small could be so abrasive was beyond him.

"The elf girl? Her letters? She writes so beautifully. And about so many things!" _Irritation_. This whole entire evening was becoming more and more irritating and annoying than Fili could have ever predicted. "Can you imagine living like Nori and she do? It's magical!"

With all this gushing, Fili found it hard to believe that he was still standing on stone and not sinking under an onslaught of water.

"She writes about unimportant things," Fili snapped. And it was true. Tori sister to Nori, Dori and Ori wrote about the market places of _Nordinbad_ and _Eriador_. She wrote about the people she saw and how it made her feel and what it was missing and who she was missing.

And maybe that was part of why Fili always felt so utterly irritated when he listened to her letters, the beautiful words of a girl he was ashamed and confused to admit that he thought was beautiful as well, echoing off the walls. She was forbidden and even to dwarves that is tempting to the young and brash who find even the smallest dangers mysterious and beautiful.

But there was something about her - something about the ways that she had refused to cry when children were cruel or worse, when adults were cruel. It was something about the way that he had never spoken to her but always seemed to have the misfortune of running into her at her most vulnerable moments. And more than that, it was because he had never said a word. He had never approached her when he had found her resting on one of the mountain ledges, silent but crying, her hair catching fire in the setting sun.

The young prince of Durin found her utterly enchanting. But his uncle had taught him enough to know that such emotions were young. And that was also why Fili pressed them down until they were nothing more than an annoying buzz in his ears.

"She's always saying that she doesn't understand things," the young, naive, utterly confused yet irritated prince lashed out, earning a knowing glance from his mother. "She doesn't understand why the humans are so loud. She doesn't understand why the elves are so quiet. She doesn't understand why the water only seems to take her one way. I have a hard time seeing how a girl like that could-"

"Be so well traveled and intelligent?" Dis inquired, giving him a crushing stare and an unimpressed once over. The prince's lips thinned, his eyes so like his father's snapping in the dim light. Dis knew that this look did not come from the high browed ways of her people but from the merchants that toiled in the blood of Fili and Kili's father's. "It takes a far bigger person than you or I to admit the things that she doesn't understand. It take humility. Something that you, my _brave_ , _stupid_ son would do well to learn."

And with that, her calloused hands patting gently at the young princes cheek and her robes whistling along the floors, she hurried to read what Tori had written.

Humility, oddly enough, isn't something that can be taught. It is an emotion that will only come from the mixture of many others - love and fear, trust and honesty. And that is the reason that the heir to the throne of Erebor, who had been taught how to fight and speak and when to give smiles and commands, was so utterly lost.

Fili thought about it for days. He toiled over the idea of humility. Being young and naive, he thought that he knew. He argued with his mother in his mind a million times. When he closed his eyes, his mind circled around all the things that he _should_ have said. And because he knew the girl who seemed to know so much more than he did, it made the annoyance even worse.

Slowly but with no free will of his own, Fili's thoughts were beginning to revolve around her and her stupidly beautiful words.

"Do you have the letters?" Dori stared up at him, his meal of meat and bread sitting half-eaten in front of him. Fili coughed, looking away before straightening and trudging on awkwardly. "The ones from the elf-girl?"

Ori's eyes broke away from his journal, turning slowly up to stare at the blonde dwarf. "...Tori?"

"That's the one." Fili knew her name. Ori knew that Fili knew her name. And Dori knew that both Fili and Kili _should_ know his sister's name simply due to the fact that the group used to throw mud-balls at each other. Fili coughed again. "Do you have her letters?"

"Why do you ask?" Deeply protective, Dori didn't like the uncertainty that came from handing over something that he had treasured for so long. He kept them in a box that was incidentally inside another box which was locked up tight beneath his bed.

"I…" Fili didn't have an answer. In vain, he muddled through his own mind before something overcame him and he bowed his head, his voice going soft. "I just want to read them. _Akuf_?"

Who knew that something so small could change someone's mind so quickly? Both Dori and Ori nodded and by the end of the day, a small, floral print box was sitting in front of Fili along with a note from Dori warning the prince of what he would do if so much as one letter was ripped.

Fili slaving over them, reading them so many times that he thought Tori's own voice was whispering to him. Years later he would find that the voice he had been hearing was so much different from the one that she now possessed. But things come to us when we need them and what Fili needed was the voice of a childhood friend. He needed the girl who screamed insults at him and walked through the halls barefoot, who cut her hair to the scalp because it got in her way when she was running after his brother and him.

 _I miss you,_ the letters read again and again. _I miss my home with the boys that used to pull on my hair and where the food was hearty and good. I miss your tea times and your cookies. How are you doing? Tell me, how are Fili and Kili doing? The king and his princes? Fili was always so arrogant but I suppose that's what all princes are born to._

And it was so ridiculously true that the young prince laughed. She was right. Fili knew it and in that moment he was sure that everyone else in these halls knew it as well. Another letter:

 _For the first time, I feel like I could have been anything. Sitting on this rock, if I close my eyes I can pretend that I am a dwarf or an elf or maybe even a human._ And then there was a line scribbled out, the ink just light enough that Fili could make out the words: _But in fact, I am-_

Fili's mouth went dry. There wasn't a single word that could finish that sentence - because Tori didn't have one. A million miles away, the girl with the dragon's fire hair had no words that she could think of to describe herself. She was neither dwarf nor human. She had neither family nor was she homeless. She was a mystery to even herself and that is the most terrifying feeling that anyone will ever have to endure.

The thing about change is that it can happen all at once in very rare cases. When circumstances and time collide together, a being can be snapped from themselves like a bone being set. And like a bone being set, it hurts and it takes longer to heal than we would expect.

And although no one could say that it was a simple line from a simple girl who was neither dwarf nor elf that made Fili change, no one could say that she had no part in it. Because Fili knew what she meant. Sometimes, when he was so beat up from training with Dwalin, his arms pounding with fatigue and his legs barely able to carry him, he would go out to the place that he had seen Tori crying and for a moment, he would pretend he was somewhere else.

And although, Tori and Fili were surely not the only ones to feel this, they were connected by time and coincidences and in the end that is all that keeps fate moving.

" _Neddar_."

It had been months since Fili had returned the box of precious letters to Dori and Kili and Fili were sitting out on a ledge that overlooked the valleys of the Blue Mountains. The wind carried the sweet snow that only could be found on the highest mountains as well as the damp rock that every dwarf should know by birth. If not for the setting sun, even beneath their thick, fur-lined jackets, the brothers would not be able to sit out here.

"Are you alright? Has anything happened?"

Fili's gaze stayed out of the valley, his eyes calm like an untapped spring. In the months since Fili had memorized those letters, he had become calmer. When Dori read to the Great Halls, Kili was surprised to see his brother stay. "Why do you ask?"

"You just seem…" Kili shrugged. He was still young and his brother had come to know something that it would take a very long time for the hazel-eyed dwarf to understand. " _Burtul_."

Fili's eyes remained where they were. "Mm. I hadn't noticed."

And annoying though it may be, sometimes that's just how fate is.

* * *

_As always, please leave a **REVIEW** and I hope to see you next chapter._

_Khuzdul:_

_Khagun: Honored mother_

_Kuna, unna. Lu', unna.: Yes, honored sister. No, honored sister._

_Akuf: Please?_

_Neddar: Honored brother._

_Burtul: Different_


	9. Confirmations and Confessions

"He likes flowers, you know." I blinked over at Kili from my spot just at the edge of the treeline. The forest around the hutch that we had decided to settle in for the night was dense and tangled. Even though the sun was just setting, the canopy of leaves made the forest beyond seem like a different time zone entirely.

Nori and I had traveled through areas like this one before - usually with the odd stream or cave system hidden just beyond the common sight. That was usually the cause of the darkness - that dip in the earth that made for more shade. Still… with the departure of Gandalf after a particularly heated conversation between Thorin and himself and the growing dusk… It was safe to say that I wasn't entirely overjoyed to have pulled the first watch along with Fili and Kili.

The ladder of which was currently looking at me with a sort of conspiratorial warmth. His brown eyes, reminding me of a dog who had just seen you pick up a stick, almost glowed in the dusk-light, deep and chocolate. "Thorin," he continued, catching my blank stare.

I didn't know how to reply. Currently, my king would, I was sure, rather push me off of the nearest cliff than accept a bouquet of flowers from me. And if I were being honest with myself my loyalty could only lead me so far and if I was forced to get him anything it would be an evening out of my presence. A win-win.

Kili's smile was almost blindingly hopeful though. I winced. "Um...that's a good character trait?" I floundered. He was looking at me like he wanted me to say more. "Very… romantic... of him?"

A sharp snap drew my attention to where the horses were corralled in, munching happily on some oats as they tugged absently at where their leads were tied off to the trees. Fili stepped around a tree, his eyes sparkling with his usual mirth as he made his way nimbly toward us. When had he gotten so light of foot? The dwarf I remembered trampled over flowers, stepping clumsily into rocky areas with a crass temperament that led to the clatter of half the boulders coming down after him.

"You know, if you guys had babies they would have really cute strawberry blonde hair - have you thought about that?" I whipped around, embarrassment making my throat close up and my face go hot enough to burn. Smiling impishly, Kili gave a cheeky shrug.

Deep within the forest, one of the horses gave a short nay, drawing Fili's attention for a moment long enough that I was able to yank Kili behind a nearby tree. "You - you can't say things like that."

He blinked, frowning. "Why?"

Because Thorin would rip out my insides and use them as a new set of reigns for his horse? A dribble of sweat rolled down my spine. Valar, this conversation was making me sweat.

"Because - because Fili and I - that - what you just said - is so far removed from reality that it's - it's-" My head spun, a croaked laugh forcing it's way out as Kili continued to smile up at me, seeming to relish in my discomfort. "It's not going to happen. Ever. Never ever."

Kili looked unfazed. "You happened," he said matter-of-factly, nodding at me like I was the prime example of unbelievable things. "And everyone said that an elf and a dwarf getting-" His smile turned evil as my face scrunched up in what I assumed to be a mixture of revulsion and embarrassment. " _Intimate_ was impossible. I'm sure you and Fili could overcome whatever is stopping the two of you."

"Kili! Tori!" Fili's voice so close made me jump. I couldn't even imagine what his input into this conversation would be. Obviously, the two brothers were completely daft so I could only imagine.

Kili smirked, thumping me on the shoulder hard enough to send me stumbling into the tree we were hiding behind. "That's our cue," he said merrily, turning to leave. He paused, changed his mind and turned back to me. "If any of that wasn't clear, I'm completely on board with you and my brother-" There was that evil little smile again. "Getting intimate." And with a wink, he was slipping away from our hiding place, giving a hoot to his brother.

"What were you doing behind there?" I heard Fili questioned as I tried to draw my reeling mind back to sanity. What kind of conversation did I just have? It felt almost like my mind was floating above my body, tethered by a thin, whisp of a string. I couldn't have just had that discussion. I had to have been dreaming.

Shaking my head, I moved free from the shadow of the tree to where Fili and Kili were talking quietly to each other. Fili's striking gaze immediately flicked up to mine.

That stupid smirk was still on Kili's face. "We thought we saw something moving around so we went over to see. It was nothing."

"Hm." Fili didn't look even slightly convinced. The look on his face was more than just unconvinced. It bordered on agitation, his eyes flicking between in the two of us like he was trying to solve a problem them he didn't particularly want to.

"Tori!" I blinked, turning at the sound of someone particularly heavy-footed clattering their way through the brush. Dwarves weren' particularly known for our lightness of foot. Stealth wasn't something that we prided ourselves on in the least. In fact, it was are inclination towards heaviness that made us deadly fighters. Our defenses were hard to get through, our swings powerful enough to chop through tendons and sometimes bones.

My brother's sharp mass of auburn hair bobbed through a particularly dense area of brush before he burst through, Nori's dark gaze running over the three of us quickly. "Dori's asking for your help with the dinner."

I blinked. Dori never asked me for help in the kitchen. In fact, on more than one occasion he had asked me specifically to _not_ help him. "Um…"

For a moment, neither of us said anything, both Nori and I playing a silent tug of war without eyes only. My mouth thinned. "He asked you to help didn't he?"

Fili and Kili stared openly at us, their expressions similar to prisoners that were being forced to watch their executioners play a game of dice.

His lips tugged down into a frown. "Yes. And as your older brother, I am delegating the task to you." He gave me a charming smile. "I love you?"

My eyes narrowed. He always did this to me. Always. I crossed my arms, not moving as he gave me an encouraging nod towards the camp. "That might have worked when I was a baby."

"You're still a baby," he answered immediately. I kept my mouth shut. He would crack in 1… 2… "Fine. I'll sharpen your axes for a week."

"Wow. Weird. Remember the last time that you cooked dinner with Dori? If I remember correctly, he shoved your hand into the fireplace after-"

"A month!" he exclaimed, his face paling at the mention. I pursed my lips. "AND I'll get you a new coat-"

"Outfit," I bargained, grinning. I gave a small pout as Kili whistled, Fili laughing softly. "Mine got all dirty and ripped from that troll cave we raided last month."

"You little brat," Nori grumbled in Khuzdul but he was smiling. "Fine. A whole new outfit. Just hurry up or else, he'll come looking for me and then the whole bargains' off."

I wagged a finger at him, stepping lightly over a dense splay of roots. "Don't forget."

"You wouldn't let me with your big mouth," he muttered, swatting at me as I went to yank at his braids. Fili's eyes followed me as I picked my way through the brushes. Nori stayed behind, turning his attention to the two brothers with a keenness that made me pick up my step. The "The stew's almost done. I'll have the hobbit bring you two down some bowls."

"I think Fili would much prefer T-" I heard Kili start as I ducked beneath a low hanging branch before it was cut off by a thump and a loud hacking sound.

"Oh Valar." Nori's voice was growing distant, the night and trees swaddling it. "Now you listen here-"

The camp was only a short walk from where we had set the ponies up to graze, settled snuggly against the last solid path that we had forced our mounts up. From where we had stopped the path became less clear and more of an uphill battle, with the rocky face of a mountain just a mile or so beyond. Personally, I dreaded the prospect, the feeling of teetering along on top of an unsteady pony a daunting one.

As I broke free from the treeline, I caught sight of the flickering campfire that had been built beneath the nearly collapsing eaves of a house. The whole place gave me an unsettling tingle at my nape, a squeeze in my stomach. The feeling only seemed to intensify when Gandalf had taken one look at the shack and left after exchanging a few heated words with Thorin.

"Ah, Tori my darling," Dori called happily as he took the kettle off of the fire and poured a few cups. Bofur sat just beside him, pouring rosemary and salt into the pot as they were dumped beside him by the other dwarves. It seemed that everyone had been assigned their tasks and only my brother had shirked his. I rolled my eyes. Typical. "Where's Nori? I sent him off to find some herbs and he hasn't returned yet."

I resisted the urge to gasp out in outrage, biting down on my initial instinct in a grim smile. The little rodent had lied to me! I should have guessed. The lazy sod hated finding herbs, said it hurt his back to be crouching and searching around in the mud.

Dori paused as he went to rifle through his pack for a space tea bag, his eyes glinting in the firelight. I could out him right now… But I wanted that outfit. And my axes did need to be sharpened. After that scuffle in the Waste with all those humans, they had looked a little dim.

I smiled brightly. "He - um - he sent me. To give them to you… Because he had to talk to Fili about something."

A horrible lie. Uncertainty gnawed at my insides as Dori's eyes narrowed, running over me with the kind of expertise that only a brother who had to act as a father would ever have. "Then where are they?"

I blinked. "What?"

His mouth curved down as Bofur gave a snort by the fire, very clearly not fooled by my feeble lie. "The herbs, Tori. The herbs that he gave to you because he had to talk to Fili about… _something_."

I winced. "Oh." I winced again, miming surprise as I brought up my empty hands to the firelight. "Would you look at that. Silly me." I forced a laugh, the sound coming out harsh and piercing.

For a moment, the only sound was the fire crackling as Dori pinched the bridge of his nose, looking like he was trying to find a single ounce of calm in the middle of a storm. Finally, he opened his eyes. "Okay, listen, I don't rightly care who gets me herbs as long as I have them in 30 seconds."

I gulped, thoroughly hating Nori. "30 seconds isn't much time," I whittled.

He clicked out his pocket watch with an effectiveness that made me jump. "27… 26…"

Yelping, I scrambled through the fallen rubble of the house, darting quickly around the back and towards the deepest part of brush that I could see. There was no way that I was going to be able to find anything in that amount of time. But I would rather take the risk of being late than the certainty that Dor would have thrown that kettle at my head in less than that amount of time if I didn't leave.

I scuttled up a cropping of rocks, making towards where I saw a hint of red. If I could find a raspberry plant then I could forage the leaves for our stew. In summer, it was the easiest and most discernable herb around.

"-Can't ostracize the girl for no reason, Thorin!" I stopped, my heart slamming into my throat as I crouched on the rock. Just a few paces away, out of sight, I could hear agitated pacing, gravel being pushed around and the swish of heavy leathers. Why did I stop? I willed myself to move, to keep going, quietly and quickly towards the raspberry plant.

"Who are her parents?" I flinched, my shoulder pressing into the cool expanse of the rocks that surrounded me, hiding me. Thorin and Balin, I thought, a feeling of insecurity and fear making me stayed rooted to where I was. They were most certainly talking about me.

"What does her lineage matter?" Balin hissed and I could almost see him raising himself up to his full sight. Was he - I blinked, taken aback - was he defending me? "We've had her since she was a babe-"

A scoff broke off those words, derisive and sharp enough that I felt the familiar burn of embarrassment rolling over me. "As I remember, Nori and her went off on a grand adventure not so long ago."

I… My heart sank, the all too familiar feeling of shame crashing down on me. Uncomfortable awareness made my insides crawl, the stone against my side feeling chilling and foreign. I hadn't thought about whether it would look suspicious if I left or not. The dwarves had always been so closed towards me… I had just assumed that it would have been better if I had left.

A scornful laugh cut through the air. "So now you distrust Nori as well?"

Stillness filled the air. "I - you know that's not what I meant."

There was a long pregnant silence that followed, each seemingly holding back a barrage of words that they wanted to say but couldn't.

"You know why I don't trust elves," Thorin finally said, his voice raw with old pain. I gulped, my stomach turning as I remembered as well. In a way, the history of the elves and my people were carried with me like a cloak that had been sewn into my skin.

I shut my eyes, trying to force away all the images that I had created. After so many times that it was told to me, it had become harder and harder to discern what I had made up in my own mind and the actual truth. Was that what history was in general? A mixture of the fictions that are created from generation to generation along with the undeniable truths?

In some ways, I hated them too. I hated the elves because they had sewn the hatred and distrust that I had grown in.

"I know why you don't trust elves," Balin whispered and I flinched against the confirmation. "But Tori is the farthest thing from the elves that you have grown to hate."

It was like a slap and a breath of fresh air all at once. I waited, gasping, still curled in the alcove that I had slipped into in the rocks. Tears pricked my eyes, hot and unforgiving. How could something so small means so much to me?


	10. Roast Mutton

I had taken longer than I should have, finding the herbs for dinner. Glancing up through the dense foliage, I caught the wispy light of nearing dawn, that lightening that whispered along the horizon as the sun started to yawn awake. Sighing, I stuffed the garland of fresh herbs inside fo the breast of my vest, the gray material puffing out at the large mass of plants I had already shoved inside.

Quietly I turned, picking my way back through the brush and roots and back to the safety of our little camp. The truth was that I had been wandering rather aimlessly since I had overhead Balin and Thorin talking. It was an odd, uncomfortable feeling to know that the topic of my inclusion into the group was garnering as much attention as the actual quest itself. In the back of my mind, I suppose I knew that the other dwarves were talking about me but it was one thing to think it and a completely other thing to bear witness to it.

Dori had once told me about the longstanding grudge that Thorin held against the elves. When Smaug had first come to the Lonely Mountains and desecrated our homelands, the line of Durin had begged for help from the wood-elves. They were homeless, some still barely able to walk from the burns that coming into contact with Smaug had caused them. Food and a plea to aid in the recovery of Erebor was all that they asked.

They received nothing. No reply and no aid.

I was sure that the months follow - months of selling off the prized possessions that the dwarves had fled the mountain with, months of watching kin perish from the burns that they had suffered at the hands of the dragons - had made Thorin more than bitter. The years that followed were hard. From the little that Dori had told me, the dwarves of Erebor were all but forced to sell themselves off. They worked in human villages, forging and mining, their pride dwindling with each petty request. They had been mighty, Dori had told me. And now they were nothing but common peasants, whoring themselves out for enough money to buy bread.

And then the battle to take Azanulbizar had come and even more, had been taken from us.

I broke the treeline, scrambling down the rocky hillside and making my way quickly to the small shack. It was strangely quiet, I realized, something altogether too still making me keep to the backside of the rubble. My mind worked quickly as I peeked around the bend. Dwarves weren't a quiet lot. Even in their sleep, they made noise, grunting and groaning like they were working in their dreams.

"Not good," I whispered, catching sight of the campfire which hadn't been banked for the night, the embers glowing warmly from a fire that hadn't been fed for an hour or so. And strewn all about were half-eaten bowls of stew, chunks of bread lying in the dirt. Another thing that a dwarf never did was leave food behind, especially Erebor dwarves.

I checked my axes quickly, following along as silently as possible beside a variety of scuff marks. If anyone were tracking us, we were making it remarkably easy, I realized, following it quickly into the woods where I had left Fili, Kili, and Nori. My heart sunk. The horses had been untethered from their lines, a tree toppled where they had been grazing. Sitting in the mud, were two full bowls, cold in the pre-dawn night.

We had been remarkably stupid.

The hill, I thought furiously, mentally lashing myself. I had even noticed the terrain and I hadn't picked it up. Dense darkness in the forest areas which meant that the ground wasn't flat which meant that there were caves. Which meant that there was a possibility of trolls. _Stupid, stupid, stupid_.

Unclipping my axes, I continued on, dodging carefully around roots and brush until I saw the glow of a nearby fire. The lack of clashing metal told me all I needed to know. Stone trolls were commonly the ones who needed caves to roam about. And other than stuffing their faces, they rarely thought of anything else. They were big, lumbering creatures with hides that were near impenetrable and blood caustic enough to melt metal. I glanced at the canopy of trees once more. It was almost daylight. All I had to do was bide some time.

And hopefully not get myself killed.

"Never min' the seas-non," a deep voice boomed, making me duck behind a tree as I got close enough to the troll camp to hear the turn of a spit and the general grumble of unhappy dwarves. I winced, readjusting my grip on my dual axes as I peeked around the trunk. "We ain't got all night. Dawn ain't far away. Let's get a move on."

 _Three_. My brain stuttered over the number, silently cursing. _Three_ stone trolls. It was enough to make a dribble of sweat run down my neck. They were giant monstrosities - standing well over ten feet tall and made up of enough muscle to rip any one of my limbs clean off the rest of my body. I shook my head. That definitely wasn't what I should be thinking about.

Turning on the spit were at least six dwarves, each sweating a moaning as the fire licked up at them. And of those six, _three_ of them were my brothers. You had to be fucking kidding me. My eyes moved swiftly to the base of a tree nearby, where a heap of wiggling sacks, lay. That was the rest of them.

I crept closer, keeping low and to the shade of the trees and brush.

"Untie me, mister!" Bombur bellowed, making me dive behind the tree once more as one of the trolls whipped around to give the grey-haired dwarf a glare.

They were just making so much noise. If they could just shut their traps. I peeked around my tree, getting a face-full of ebony hair streaked through with silver. Crystal blue eyes snapped around to me, making me reel back in surprise before I gave a wan smile.

Of course, the first person I would come to was Thorin Oakenshield.

His brows lowered in a scowl, his eyes flicking from where the trolls were currently making a dinner menu and then back to me. "Tori."

Using the edge of my axe, I started to cut carefully around the rope that was cinched around his neck. "Good evening, my king."

"Tori." I paused, glancing to the side in time to catch the forlorn stare of Kili and then the burning gaze of Fili. All of the attention had been drawn to me in a second.

"If you would turn your eyes back to the trolls, I would really appreciate it," I breathed, sawing through the first layer of ropes at Thorin's throat. "I don't want them to particularly know I'm here."

"Which you shouldn't be," Fili hissed, his blue eyes striking as he glared up at me.

"Odd," I hissed right back. "I thought you would be overjoyed that I had come to save your sorry-"

"Not if it means that you're going to be put on the menu as well-"

"Lot of thanks that is-"

"Now what do we have here?" My heart stopped beating, my muscles cramping as a shadow so deep fell over me. The overwhelming stench of troll made my eyes sting.

Slowly, my eyes moved over the thick, muddy feet, up to the muscular thighs and that barrel of a chest and then to the mouth that was currently covered in a thick layer of drool and finally to those beady eyes. Not intelligent eyes. Eyes that you knew wouldn't flinch away when they killed you. Eyes that had stared down on screaming creatures before and carried on with supper.

I gave a shaky smile. "Hi."

"TORI, RUN!" Thorin roared.

I didn't have to be told twice. Or even once for that matter.

Wind tickled my neck as I dove to the side, landing hard on my side. Not good. Three trolls against little old me. It had taken the combined efforts of Nori and I to take down one in that cave last summer.

"THERE'S ANOTHER ONE!" One of the trolls howled as I dove into the camp area, catching the crash of a troll trying to lumber through the forest behind me. Good, he thought I had run off. That would keep him for a little bit.

"SHE'S OVER HERE, BERT!" A high, girlish voice called and suddenly one of them was diving towards me, an over-excited mess of a creature. I jumped forward to meet him, bringing my axes down into the soft flesh at his achilles. There were three soft spots in the troll's natural body armor. One in the neck, another in the back of their knees and then finally at their feet.

"LASSIE, YOU IDIOT!" Dwalin bellowed as I went careening past him, dodging around the fire as the one that I had just slashed into gave a howl, jumping about. It was a good thing that he had a friend that didn't care about him. I yelped out a breath as the third dwarf, lumbering over to block my path.

"THE DAWN!" Nori shrieked, reminding me of our days spent in troll caves. No time for that. Gritting my teeth, I sent a hefty kick into the side of the spittle.

"What's that she's doing?" the third troll asked curiously, I gave him a smile, landing another kick. The spit groaned, jiggly. Confused, the troll inched a bit closer.

Up above, Dori's mouth pulled open in horror. His eyes glinted down at me with a warning. "Don't you dare-"

"Sorry!" I huffed, slamming my foot into it one final time. With a final moaning, the tethering gave out and the contraption went crashing back into the troll, slamming him into the rock hillside just behind. His head gave a sickly crack as it hit a particularly jagged expanse of stone.

"Tom!" I didn't have time to help the dwarves still tied, sweating and complaining to the fallen spit, the troll still beneath their combined weight. The one that I had slashed through was limping towards me. Gritting my teeth, I glanced down at the axes that had cut through his achilles, seeing the warped metal, sizzling as the troll blood ate through it. Useless. I flung it to the side, my last ax glinting dimly in the firelight.

"HEY, YOU UGLY _KAKHUF INBARATHRAG_!" Fili roared, struggling desperately at his bindings. His face reddened as he spit out a series of insults in _khuzdul_ , trying desperately to draw the troll's attention.

"Tori!" Thorin bellowed, his eyes glinting in the firelight. "I gave you a command, girl."

"WAIT!" I heard a prim, nervous voice call as one of the sacks struggled up and to its feet. Bilbo. "Wait! She doesn't even look that good!"

My eyes whipped to the side as the sound of breaking branches and crashes proceeded Bert as he lumbered into the clearing. His eyes flicked over me. I was boxed in, the other troll still lying to my back as the other two slowly made their way toward me.

"You didn' tell me she was here," Bert grumbled, flicking an irritated gaze to where his friend stood. "I've been searchin' all about, tryin' to find her."

I gulped, my skin burning at the closeness of the fire. Behind me, I could hear the murmur of my brothers, insistent and altogether irritating. And then farther away, the roar of Fili as he screamed insults at them. My mouth was dry, sweat coating my skin. I couldn't move my focus from the two trolls though. If I paid them any sort of mind then it would give them an opportunity to catch me. And as for fleeing… It would look beyond pathetic if I tried to run now. Especially since I knew I would be caught.

"She killed Tom," the smallest troll murmured, both of them caroling me like a dog. I shuffled a bit with them, my knuckles going white on the hilt of my ax. I was dying to look up and catch a sight of the sky, to try and see how much more time I needed to buy until dawn. But I didn't dare. They were within arms reach now.

Bert's eyes flicked to where his fellow troll lay, narrowing for a moment as he gave an indignant huff. "She broke the spit!"

One more step and they would be able to catch me without a thought. My only hope was to bring one of them down and then hope that in the following chaos, the dwarves on the spit had gotten free or the dawn had come. I didn't take enough time to fully think it out.

"WHAT'S SHE DOING-" Dwalin roared.

"I TOLD YOU TO RUN!" Thorin exploded.

Bert wasn't expecting me to be so agile. Or so quickly for that matter. Or maybe it was the fact that I had leaped at him and not away. Digging my hands into the meat of his forearm, I swung myself up, hefting myself up his forearm with a grunt.

The vulnerable skin of his throat was just a short swing from there.

"What's she-" I saw his eyes go wide, beady and dark in the campfire light, moments before my blade sank into his throat. Searing pain burst up my arm, making me bite down on scream as his blood splattered across my arm, burning through the cloth and leather of my bracers and eating away at the flesh beneath. My ax bubbled, welding into his throat as it hit the cool, night air.

"You vile, little dwarf!" So much for the calculated bet that the other troll would be paralyzed with either fear or shock. I gasped out a breath as fingers closed around my uninjured arm, yanking my shoulder to the side as it hauled me into the air. Spittle flew from the troll's mouth as he brought me closer to his face. "You killed Tom and Bert and broke our spit!"

I let out a choked cry as his fingers squeezed down even further on my arm, crush my wrist.

"LET HER GO!" Ori screamed from the wiggling mass of dwarves.

"YOU'RE MAKING A TERRIBLE MISTAKE!" Bilbo screamed.

" _Abrâfu shaikmashâz_!" Fili yelled and I forced my eyes toward him as his voice cracked. Kneeling in the dirt, his blonde hair wild in the firelight, he looked unfairly handsome. My heart gave an uncomfortable squeeze as his eyes crinkled in agony, the veins in his throat popping as he screamed. "LOOK AT ME!"

"I still think that we should have just eaten ya raw," the troll said, a grim sort of smile curling his lips as he raised me. I gave a scream, jerking against the trolls hold, clawing at his hands and kicking out as I tried desperately to get free. Hot breath tickled along my ankles as the clearing boomed with a dozen voices crying out, yelling so many different things that I couldn't make out a single one of them.

Unwanted tears blurred my vision, my fist slamming uselessly as the troll raised me a little higher.

"TORI!" Fili. I let out a sob, my lungs constricting as I turned my head toward the voice. He was crying, his face red and rageful. I - I think my biggest regret would be him. I closed my eyes. Always him.

My eyes drifted to the streak of light peaking over the rocky hill. He would be safe. They would all be safe. Real tears burned at my throat, fear and relief mixing into a confusing muddle in my mind. I wouldn't make it. But the rest of them would. My insides knotted as i jerked up my legs trying to curl away from the gaping hole, the rows of teeth just beneath me.

"Ah, I love it when they cry," the troll whispered gleefully as he brought me a little bit closer to his lips. Unwanted, I felt a few more tears run down my face. "Makes 'em salty."

"SHE'S INFECTED!" Bilbo screamed, his voice reaching an octave that made my ears pop. I blinked, the troll pausing, his head whipping to the side.

"Infected?" he questioned dumbly. My throat constricted, tears still blurring my vision. This couldn't possibly be working.

"With - with worms," Bilbo squeaked, nodding emphatically. His little nose wrinkled, his eyes sweeping in a panic from the troll to where I dangled.

"Worms?!" the troll squealed, dropping me on the spot. My breath wooshed out of me as I hit the ground hard. My head spun dully. It had worked. An irrational urge to start bawling almost overtook me along with a well of relief. It was dawn.

"LET THE DAWN TAKE YOU!" My heart leapt with wonder. _Oh, thank Aule._

"Who's that?" the troll sniffed, taken aback.

A great crack broke through the clearing as a staff slammed into the hillside.

"Gandalf," I breathed in relief, sinking onto my back as the troll gave a particularly loud shriek of agony.

Sunlight flooded the clearing, bright and fresh as all morning light is. I shut my eyes, breathing in the sunlight as a dusting of stone dusted down on me and the screaming of the troll dwindled into the settling of stone.

* * *

_As always, much love and happy reading. **Leave me a review** \- it would make my night and I'm kind of holding next chapter ransom for them so fingers crossed! XOXO - Mylovelylions_

_Khuzdul:_

_KAKHUF INBARATHRAG: Goat turd._

_Abrâfu shaikmashâz: Spawn of rats_


	11. Rhosgobel Rabbits

"What I would really enjoy," I gritted out, wincing as Ori peeled away the ragged mess of my forearm bracers and mittens. Beneath the skin bubbled, patches slick with a greenish-yellow slime that ate away at the top layer of my skin. Bile rose in my throat as Ori flinched at a particularly bad spot that crept along my wrist and down to my fingers. "Is a vivid recount of how you - all _thirteen_ of the most impressive, ruthless, cutthroat warriors of Erebor - got yourselves caught and nearly roasted by _three_ trolls." I stared hard up at Nori, in particular, frowning as he gave a diffident laugh. " _Thirteen_ dwarves. _Thirteen_."

Dori rolled his eyes. "Yes, Tori. We're quite clear on the number."

My brothers had all but bombarded me after they had gotten free, hauling me over to a grassy area just a few feet away from the stone trolls. For my part, after the last troll had been turned to stone, I had remained on my back, staring up at the slowly changing sky above. And thinking about how I had lost both of my axes and ruined my arm. Now all I had were two daggers, small and flimsy sitting in my boots. If it came to another fight like this one, I would be weaponless. Which was an overwhelmingly scary thought.

My eyes drifted to where Fili stood, arms crossed, his eyes cold and unforgiving as they pierced into me. He hadn't come over to me after the whole ordeal, stewing instead in dark silence. For a moment, I let my mind wander back to his screams, the tears that I was sure had been running down his face. My heart tightened, my throat clamping shut. It had been painful to see him like that - to see him vulnerable and raw.

"We were actually doing rather well there for a bit," Ori said softly, drawing my attention back to him as he began setting up the bandages and ointment and - I gulped, sweating - alcohol. He gave me a shy smile, his nose wrinkling. "Nori and I were handling one troll-"

I gave Dori a long side-long glance. His silvery eyes rolled heavenward before he slapped me upside the head. "Do you take me for a layabout?"

I snarled, swatting in his general direction. "I am _injured_ here." My eyes whipped to Nori who was standing stiffly beside our oldest brother, a worried crease crinkling his brow as he watched our youngest brother stir the boiling water, poking at the logs underneath to egg the fire up a bit. "Nori. Punch him."

He didn't even blink. His fist blurred as he slammed it into Dori's arm. I smirked. Served him right. First I had to rescue him then he was going to act all holier-than-though. Tori, how could you be so reckless? Tori, wasn't there a better way to kill that troll than making six of us into a ramming board? Tori, I'm impressed with you. You make me so proud. Okay, that last one had actually made me tear up.

"Then the Master Hobbit had gotten himself caught," Ori continued on as Dori gave a roar, tackling Nori to the ground. I blinked. So they had stopped because of Bilbo. My eyes drifted to where the little hobbit stood, glancing around nervously as the other dwarves shuffled about. His quick thinking was the only reason why I was still alive. I had a debt to him now - one that I fully intended to keep. Ori's wide dark eyes caught mine, his fingers white around the bottle of hard alcohol as his other held my hand gently but firmly. "This will hurt."

My lips thinned as I eyed the spackle of raw, bubbling flesh that ran all the way up to my elbow. It would more than hurt since it would immediately need to be flushed out with boiling water.

"Troll cave," a deep, jovial voice interrupted just as I was about to nod in affirmation. I glanced up, catching sight of the reddish mass of hair that Gloin had as well as the cheery mustache and beard of Bofur, the ladder grinning.

Nori jumped up, deftly avoiding Dori's repeated kicks. "I knew there had to be. Always a cave where's there's a troll. That's my motto."

"Or more like a general fact of life," I snipped sarcastically, earning me a wildly inappropriate hand gesture from him. I could feel Gloin and Bofur's eyes, their attention making my skin itch.

"You were a right sight, lassie," Gloin finally said, breaking the silence. I blinked, taken aback. Was he… Was he complimenting me? He gave me a small smile. "I was congratulating Dwalin on your training but he said that that was all your own."

Bofur cut in with a chuckle, one bushy brow raising. "More to the point, he said that only you would charge a full-grown stone troll on your own. That bit was my favorite."

I let out a breath, glancing nervously at my brothers. Each of them had an odd, self-satisfied grin on their faces, their chins raised. Dori smile was all but glowing, his arms folded across his chest as is the queen herself had just complimented his tea.

Floundering, I blundered through a response. "I - It was the only thing I had thought to do."

"And you saved us all," Gloin humphed, nodding. I reeled back a fraction. This was all becoming a bit too surreal.

"We're in your debt, lassie," Bofur said with a wink, bowing his head slightly. His eyes drifted knowingly to my arm, his lips thinning. "Now, we'll let you to it. Wounds like that can't air out for too long." His eyes turned to Dori and Nori. "Troll cave?"

Nori worried his lips for a moment, his eyes crinkling as he turned to me. "Will you be alright?"

I scoffed. "Of course, I will. What would you do if you stayed?"

My words didn't seem to reassure him. Dori worked nervously at his braided hair, his movements twitchy. Unconvinced, my middle brother's eyes strayed to Ori.

"I'll be with her," Ori said, his voice sure even as his eyes deepened with nerves. "You really wouldn't be able to do much."

Still, there was a long pause. I knew why. If anyone of them became wounded, someone would have to drag me from their bedside. Still… My eyes strayed to the boiling pot of water. I didn't particularly want them to be witness to this next part.

"Where there are troll-hoards, there are weapons," Nori finally said, his hand reached out to push back the hair that had fallen over my forehead. He gave me a grin that didn't entirely meet his eyes. "Time to go shopping."

I gave a thin smile. "Find me something expensive."

He chucked me under the chin, turning swiftly to follow after Gloin and Bofur. Dori stepped forward, his eyes crinkling with worry as he stared at my hand.

"I've never been prouder," he whispered, leaning down to press a kiss to my forehead before he was striding away as well.

I gulped, watching them disappear into the treeline. If I was being at all honest with myself, I would have to admit that I was terrified. The worst part of every battle was the injuries. Dwalin had taught me that if I didn't come back from every good fight without a good bruise or worse then I was doing something wrong. Looking at the mess of my hand, apparently, I was doing something very right by that standard.

"It'll be over before you know it," Ori whispered, running a calming hand over my uninjured palm. I smiled nervously.

"Do I look that scared?"

Ori shrugged. "Remember the first time that Thorin found out that Dwalin was giving you fighting lessons?"

I winced, blanching. "That bad? How ghastly. Some fearsome warrior I am."

Ori's face sobered. "Just breathe -" He blinked, his eyes catching on something just over my shoulder. Slowly, a corner of his lips twitched up. "We have company."

"Oh, not another bloody well-wisher-" I started, hating that I had to wait through another conversation until I got this whole ordeal done with. Annoyed, I went to turn around.

The scent of warm bread and earth greeted her nose before she could fully turn, the steady stride and clink of beads adorning hair making her ears twitch in recognition. Even after being tied up in a sack and prepped for a trolls mealtime, Fili, son of Dis and the next in line for Durin's folk, looked regal. His honey blonde hair spiked through with an almost icy white was windswept, the braids that adorned it disheveled in a way that infuriated me and also set me on fire. His steel blue eyes held ice, hard and unforgiving as they scanned over where Ori and I sat.

He made me feel like a commoner, sitting in the dirt and grass, my arm flayed and bleeding. His eyes settled on me, a sliver of warmth softening his features. And just like that he tugged me up, teasing me with a single glance into thinking that I was his equal. No. Perhaps more than that. Perhaps even his queen.

I tore my eyes away, blushing. It was unfair. It was unfair how he could trick me with only glances and whispers as if our minds were connected to each other. Because I would never be more than a halfling, used for my unnatural abilities and cherished for the novelty of my existence. I needed to remember that. To protect myself, I needed to remember that.

"My prince," Ori said for both of us, his eyes moving between Fili and I with a secretive sort of smile. I was tempted to kick him right in the face if he continued.

"Fili will do fine," he said as if as an afterthought. Air whispered along my side as he sat with a thump, his body turning completely toward me. What the hell was he trying to do? Warily, I eyed him, watching as he adjusted the strap that held his dual swords against his back. Seemingly settled, his eyes snapped to me, his hands reaching out to wrap around my waist.

"What the hell are you doing?" I hissed in khuzdul, mortified as he yanked me to his front, one of his legs going over both of mine as he settled me between his thighs. Vainly, with one hand, I struggled to push him away, only becoming more mortified as he tightened his hold, pressing me into the hard planes of his chest.

Fili's eyes shined down at me, his face mind-numbingly close to my own. The next words that he spoke were soft and warm against my lips. "You remember when you fell from the apple tree and down that gorge to the river below?"

My mouth tightened. _Fell_ was a rather loose term for what had happened. Some of the other children had chased me up the tree and then started throwing pebbles at me. Thinking, that it would be better if I was farther up, I had tried to shimmy higher. I had quickly lost my footing and fallen, dislocating my shoulder in the process. I huffed, glancing at my brother. Unconvincingly, he tried to look busy, his hands working uselessly at the fire, pretending that he was doing something other than eavesdropping.

Scowling, I turned to glare up at Fili, gritting out my next words through my teeth. "I don't see how that has anything to do with what's happening at the moment."

His eyes twinkled with sudden, breathtaking mirth, the arm around my waist drawing me at bit closer into the fur-lined warmth of his jacket. "Remember what happened when Fordear tried to reset your shoulder?"

I blinked, taken aback. How had he..? He hadn't even been there until Nori had found me and rushed me back into the great hall, calling for someone to help. Nearly everyone had gathered after that, whispering peckishly as they had watched me, sweating on the floor. I had hated it. Hated the children who had ran away when I had fallen and not gotten up. Hated the way that Nori's face had crumbled when he had found me in that ravine, shivering and sobbing. I had bit down on my own lip to keep from crying then, as all of those dwarves had crowded closer. I had been angry enough to keep my mouth shut, to keep all of my pain stuffed down. I didn't want to give them my tears. Valar only knew how they would take that weakness.

I didn't answer him, glaring stubbornly up at him.

His mouth curved into a smirk. "I remember," he confirmed, tipping his head a bit closer so that he could whisper to me. "You punched him in the face right when he was about to put it back into place."

" _You evil little half-breed!" his wife had screamed, shrieking up a storm even as Dori gave a bellow. We hadn't been welcomed into Fordears house after that. Not that my brother's would have ever wanted to._

" _Lucky that I didn't sock her right in that big honker," Dori snarled over dinner that night._

" _We don't hit women or children, Dori," Nori reminded him although he had certainly given Fordears sons quite a beating when they had jumped in._

_My eldest brother had snorted. "That harpy isn't a woman. She's a walking cesspool of ignorance with a nose the size of my bum."_

" _Not to mention that her sesame cakes are garbage," Ori had thrown out angrily, tipping his chin up. "Really not a loss at all."_

_My brothers had more than heartily agreed._

"It took three dwarves to hold you down," Fili continued as I glowered up at him. Of course he continued. "Even then, when Balin came to fix you up, you tried to bite him."

Ugh. I hated that part.

My mouth curved into the sweetest smile I could muster. I batted my lashes up at him. "Then what makes you think that you can keep me still?"

His smirk didn't waver, his eyes glittering dangerously. "Let me worry about that."

He was playing games with me. I frowned up at him, watching for any sign of weakness. It was common among dwarves to have moments like this. But only when courting. The thought startled through me before I could stop it, my cheeks heating as one of Fili's brows quirked up.

Dwarves held courting in very high esteems mainly because there were so few women. This fact became even more stressed since dwarves mated for life. One, we called it or _ghulin_ in our common tongue. And it wasn't something to think about lightly. To court each other - I caught my breath, feeling foolish.

"Tori," Ori started delicately, tapping at my palm. His eyes were wide and clear as he gave me a pointed stare. Aginst my side, I felt Fili's chest expand with a breath. It was almost...nice, I supposed to be pressed against him, his legs bracketing me in, his arms solid and strong around my waist.

I gave my brother a nod, slipping my arm over Fili's leg, leaning far enough out that none of the water or alcohol would get on his legs. The pot of boiling water had been taken from the fire, cooling to a bearable temperature at Ori's knee. My mind drifted for a moment, flashing back to when I was a child. My youngest brother had always seemed so...young, innocent even. It was in rare moments like this one that I truly saw his many years. Not only was he a scribe but a healer as well, gentle and-

The thought cut off jaggedly as Ori tipped the bottle, his movements practiced. Sharp, clean pain lanced through me, jarring me to my very bones as the alcohol sizzled into my open wounds. Against my waist, Fili's hand tightened, his other one whipping out to hold my elbow in place as I reeled back, recoiling. Blindly, I resisted, a silent wail of agony building in my throat. I would have screamed if they had given me a moment longer of the pain but instead Ori picked up the steaming pot of clean water and all noise died a swift death as he poured it over my bubbling, alcohol-drenched hand.

Quickly, my brother let go of my arm, giving Fili a hard glance as he whipped around to get water. At my elbow, Fili's hand tightened, holding me.

The pain was instantaneous, horrific in its swiftness. If possible, it was ten times worse than the alcohol which had at least had an almost cleansing agony to it. This - this was torture. Every muscle in my body spasmed as the water surged, hot and unforgiving into the gaping trenches that the acidic blood of the trolls had created. My stomach lurched, all food coming up as I gagged, my head spinning, vision popping.

I wished I could scream, to let something out of the pain that was lancing through my very bones. But this was the sort of pain that took even that away, gagging and blinding you until it had had it's fun.

"Sssshh. Ssssshhh, hamumal amrul," I heard Fili murmuring to me, his words distant as if I was a boat approaching an island. I blinked dumbly, the pain easing a fraction as Ori's pot emptied at last. The skin left was raw and gruesomely bare but it had stopped bubbling and a lot of the pus that had started to build-up was no longer there.

My eyes burned, somehow seeing everything and nothing at all as if the world around were just a palette with a variety of colors. My throat worked reflexively around the urge to bawl my eyes out. Truthfully, I had wanted to do that since that nasty troll had dropped me.

"Just the salve and bandage," Ori murmured, his brows furrowing in concentration as he continued on with his work, keeping his eyes trained on my hand. Shivers racked my body, compulsive little shudders that made my mind ice over for a moment.

Fili's lips moved softly against my temple, one of his legs keeping mine pinned to the ground. Dazed, I realized that in my attempt to get free, I had tried to claw out Ori's eyes. Now my uninjured hand was trapped firmly between his ankle. So that was why he had wanted to be wrapped around me like this.

"She's shivering," Fili growled and the words tickled along my cheek as he turned to stare at my brother, the beads in his beard cold against my skin.

Ori didn't look up from his work, lathering my skin with ointment and medicinal herbs before he was tightly wrapping it in a thick layer of gauze. "That's normal. Her body's going into a sort of shock. Even though she was expecting the pain, I'm not entirely sure that she realized just how much there would be."

Fili didn't respond, turning his attention back to me. With the ebbing of the pain, my eyes drooped from exhaustion. I was tired from my fight with the trolls, from the lack of sleep the night before and more to the point, from the rush of emotions and physical trauma. "Go to sleep, amrul. You did well. You deserve to shut your eyes for a moment."

My words were stumbling, disjointed as I forced myself to try and stay awake. "We'll be moving soon… Not safe-"

One strong hand massaged through my tangled hair, his arm drawing me into the solid, comfortable expanse of his chest. "If something happens, I'll wake you."

I should have protested more. But I was already asleep by the time he finished his sentence.

Twenty minutes of sleep did almost nothing to ease my exhaustion. In fact, more than anything it made me pissed when I woke.

"Get up, amrul," Fili snarled, his eyes alight with real wariness as he dragged me up, his arm keeping me cinched to his side as he all but carried me along.

Groggily, I blinked, my mind stuttering awake as I stumbled along beside him. "Wh-what? What's happening?"

His eyes like the winter sky snapped to me, his arms unwinding from around my waist as he drew his swords out with a soft snip of metal on leather. His jaw tightened. "Warg scouts."

An ungodly howl pierced the air as we stumbled over the rocky outcropping, stopping short just as Ori came barreling through the treeline. Below us, Gandalf was standing beside a spindly little man in brown robes, one side of his face smeared with what could only be bird poop. Spotting the uneven terrain all around them were the rest of the group, all with their weapons drawn.

At their feet the silvery body of a creature too big to be a wolf, it's face angular beneath its dirty black coat. And just beside it another one. My heart ran cold, all exhaustion skittering out of me as I felt Fili snarl, moving just in front of me. The only sign of his anxiety was the whitening of his knuckle along the hilt.

"Who did you tell about your quest?" Gandalf boomed as Thorin yanked his sword from between the warg's ribs. "Beyond your kin?"

Thorin's eyes narrowed, his mouth opening for a moment in bewilderment. Across the clearing, I saw Nori scramble up the hill to where Ori and Dori stood. "Where's Tori?"

I gave a low whistle, three pairs of eyes snapping in my direction all at once. Giving me a nod, Fili helped me down the rocks into the valley that the rest were gathered in, sheathing one of his swords so that he could keep a firm grip on my uninjured wrist. As if he wanted to keep track of me. As if he were making sure that I wasn't going to run off and try and ruin my other arm.

"No one," Thorin swore, confusion coating his words as he stared up at the gray wizard.

Gandalf's words were sharp, his shoulders hunching in. "Who did you tell?!"

Thorin met him with his own biting reply, his eyes flashing. "No one, I swear. What in Durin's name is going on?"

Gandalf gave a huff, glancing around almost nervously. It was the first time I had seen him flustered. Beside me, Fili stiffened, his adam's apple bobbing as he watched the wizard closely. His calloused fingers tightened around my wrist, tugging me closer to his side.

"You are being hunted."

Thorin reeled back like he had been slapped.

"I was able to follow you easily the other night," I blurted out, and all at once all of them were looking at me. I gulped, feeling sick. "We haven't been covering our tracks. If someone wanted to - to hunt us, it would be easy."

Dwalin's mouth tightened, his hands gripping his hammer. "We have to get out of here."

For a moment, the older dwarf's eyes met mine, a look of disappointment filling them. He was one of the best trackers in the group. More than that, he had trained almost everyone in our party. From my long days with him, I knew how seriously he took the safety of everyone in this group. It had to be killing him to know that he had failed in such an unforeseen way.

"We can't," Ori piped up, anxiety coating his words. "We have no ponies. The bolted."

Bilbo turned, his expression one of immense despair.

"I'll draw them off," the brown-robed wizard suddenly piped up.

I blinked. "Who's this guy?"

Fili leaned a bit closer, lowering his voice. "No clue." Catching his brother's eyes, he motioned him over. "Did we get another wizard?"

Kili shrugged. "I don't really know. I wasn't paying attention when they were making introductions."

Fili rolled his eyes heavenward, giving a long-suffering sigh.

"These are gundabard wargs," Gandalf was saying quietly to the other wizard. "They will outrun you."

Bred by the orcs of Mount Gundabard, they were trained only in the art of chase and capture. In some ways, they were more of a threat than even the orcs themselves.

The poop-smeared wizard bulked, his eyes lighting with open defiance. "These are rhosgobel rabbits." I startled, looking around. I didn't see any rabbits. "I'd like to see them try."

Silence followed that boast, filled with a variety of expressions from Gandalf's one of mild awe to Dwalin's overall expression of being thoroughly unimpressed.

Kili gave a low whistle, smirking. "You know, I hope those orcs don't rip him apart." He crossed his arms, nodding. "I like his style."

* * *

_Hey, my little cinnamon buns! So I know things are a little crazy right now with this virus but I just wanted to emphasize the point of coming back to the things that we love and just not letting the fear and uncertainty ruin everyday life. We still have so much to be thankful for and I for one, count you guys among those numbers._

_So yeah, I hope that this chapter brightens your day._


	12. The Last Homely House East of the Sea...

Grasslands lay just beyond the forest hills, sprawling away from the mountains that we had just come from Few trees decorated the rolling hills that stuttered down into the valley below with a spackling of boulders that looked like they had been scattered there by accident.

To say that we were outnumbered and at a severe disadvantage would be an understatement. The terrain was hellish to navigate with little coverage and steep inclines that made it hard to run through. In other words-

"We're fucked," Nori said bluntly, his face blank as we hid behind an outcropping of rocks. In the distance, I could hear the manic chortle of the brown-robed wizard as his rabbits thumped along, diverting some of the attention from the rather large group of dwarves along with an over-sized wizard and a rather nimble hobbit.

Dori gasped, his hands flying to his mouth as he stared at our middle brother. "What kind of barbarian have you become?"

Nori's eyes were almost bored as he turned to our eldest brother, motioning around to the open fields around us. "Sorry, brother that my vocabulary isn't as big as your own."

I sighed, rolling my eyes as up ahead, I saw Dwalin send us a glare. We were by far the noisiest part of the group, in constant scabbles with each other. Not to mention that Ori kept overrunning, making us drag him back with a consistency that made me want to strangle him.

"Our mother would be very disappointed," Dori informed Nori, wagging a finger at him. Which only seemed to make my middle brother more defiant.

Nori's nose wrinkled as he gave Dori a sneer. "Well thank Mahal that you're here to do it for her, you prissy little-"

Gloin reeled around, nearly tackling Fili and I as he tried to tackle any one of my brothers. "Will you shut your gobs?!"

There was a moment of silence as all three of my brothers stared at the red-haired man before Dori gave an indignant sniff. "Well isn't someone's beard in a twist."

"Yeah, keep your beads in," Nori said childishly, sticking out his tongue as Gloin snarled, a vein in his face popping as he took a menacing step forward. Fili pressed me to the rock, his chest skimming mine as he kept a watchful eye on both Gloin and the front of the party where his uncle and brother were. Unwanted, my heart gave a flutter, giddiness only a short leap away as his familiar warmth and scent enveloped me like a welcome hug.

" _Itkitî_!" Thorin growled and immediately everyone shut their mouths, instead deciding to gesture emphatically at each other in iglishmêk.

"Your brother is right," Fili said, his voice deep and calm as he turned his head to stare down at me. His eyes twinkled as his chest skimmed along mine, making it hard to breathe. "We are fucked."

I rolled my eyes. "Charming _and_ helpful."

He gave me a wink, smirking.

A howl rent the air, the sound of gnashing teeth echoing through the valley eerily.

"All of you, quickly," Gandalf bellowed, his eyes hooded as he gestured toward the next boulder that we needed to go to.

Fili's fingers curled through mine, his eyes shuttering, his face sobering as he all but towed me along. My breath sawed unevenly in and out, my lungs burning as I felt my stomach jolt uncomfortably. Normally, I was one of the fastest of the group, my slightness making me lighter on my feet than the others.

But my treatment had taken more than I had originally expected out of me, making my body wither with every dash to safety that we had to endure.

It was almost pathetic how FIli had to drag me along, my steps stumbling and clumsy as we stayed firmly in the middle of the pack. He noticed too. I could tell by the tightening of his jaw, the way that he kept looking back at me. He knew that I was weakening.

And he also knew that I couldn't do this for much longer.

"Other way," Dwalin snarled, forcibly turning Ori toward a different boulder as one of the Wargs and it's orc rider cut off from the group chasing after the brown-robed wizard. Quickly, we all skittered behind it.

Fili's grasp was firm but gentle as he pressed me to the rock, his body cocooning me in. His eyes ran over me quickly, catching on the sweat that was dampening my brow. At my side, his fingers flexed on the hilt of his blade, his head tipping closer so that he could whisper into my ear.

"Are you okay?"

Did I really look that worn out? That wasn't a good sign. My bandaged arm was throbbing dully, sweat collecting around the cloth and making my injuries sting softly.

I swallowed around a pant, giving him my best smile. "I can make it."

His eyes glimmered a sharp blue as they ran over my face. "That wasn't what I asked."

"Psst," a voice hissed, brows furrowing, Fili and I glanced to the side, catching sight of both Nori and Dori speaking quickly in iglishmêk, their hands almost blurring. Nori's brows were an angry slash across a thunderstorm expression as I focused in on what he was saying. _Five feet apart. Five feet apart._

Dori, I assumed was saying a rendition of the same thing. Luckily I was saved from having to answer by the scrape of claws too close to be anything but terrifying. Fili's breath drew in quickly, his grip tightening even further on his sword as he pressed me closer to the rock. The furs around his collar tickled my face, the metal of his belt pressing into my abdomen. The district sound of a warg scenting the air reached my ears.

Up ahead, I saw Thorin turn, his hands moving quickly and silently as he turned to Kili. Fili's mouth thinned, his adam's apple bobbing as his eyes lasered in on the action. My breathing slowed to a crawl as Kili gently notched an arrow into his bow. It would take one call from either the rider or the beast for the rest of the pack to be on us. Fili's hand curled into mine, the callouses there from years of training and hard labor scraping along my own. His eyes searched mine out, the message clear. Kili wouldn't be able to completely mute both of them with only one shot like this. The next few moments would be a mad dash - I gulped, sudden fear gripping me. To where? Gandalf hadn't told us. Even Thorin didn't know.

He shook his head, his hand squeezing down on me, centering me for a moment. Those striking, sure eyes burned into mine. We would run as fast as we could and we would trust in the wizard. And we would survive. Because we had to. I took a long, calming breath as Fili let go of my hand, his fingers going up to grab ahold of a few tangled strands of my hair, bright and burning in the afternoon light. His eyes stayed locked on mine as he brought it to his lips, kissing it with a reverence that took my breath away. This man - my heart constricted - I could love this man, I realized with a blinding sort of clarity.

The dying shriek of the warg pierced the air as Kili's arrow sent both rider and beast to the ground, the call haunting in its shrillness. Even with the combined swiftness of three of the dwarves, the orc let out a scream before he slumped to the ground.

And then as if replying, there was a cacophony of howls, their voices combining and warping into a vengeful song.

"MOVE!" Gandalf roared. I didn't need to look where his gaze was turned to know that the full force of the orcs was bearing down on us. I could hear it. Fili's eyes met mine a moment before we were both sprinting in the opposite direction, taking the steep hills at a jarring pace. "RUN!"

I didn't have time to breathe. I didn't have time to look behind me at the mass of death that was slowly but surely creeping towards us. My arm throbbed steadily, sweat coating my back and neck like I had been running for days and not only a short amount of time. My legs sagged in exhaustion but in that exhaustion, there was comfort, the comfort of knowing that this wouldn't stop and that it wasn't an option to sit down and have a nap. I found a rhythm, one that wouldn't last long but was powerful in its agony. I dodged past the others, gaining ground as I let my body turn over to an automatic response.

"This way!" Gandalf yelled, veering sharply to the right as we went into the high, wheaty grass of the planes beyond. I was right behind him, my sides aching as behind me I heard the familiar stomping of the dwarves. The flash of dark hair and heavy armor caught my attention, my eyes catching on Thorin's as he gritted down, his eyes flashing around at the hills around, wargs dotting them like gruesome hallucinations.

His eyes drifted to my arm and then to my face, taking in the gray pallor for a moment before connecting with mine again. "I want you directly behind Gandalf, Tori. Don't fall back to fight."

I blinked, surprise making me momentarily forget about the oncoming threat and my own pain. The only reason he would have me in the back… I gritted down, nodding as I picked up my pace. It would be stupid to have me in the back when I didn't have weapons and my dominant hand was injured. In fact, it would be near suicidal and a detriment to the back defenses. Right now the only reason I was still going and was faster than even Kili was because of my elven blood - one of the only times I was happy for it if I were being honest with myself.

In a way - an odd, completely unexpected way - Thorin was trying to keep me alive.

I sprinted up ahead, catching up with Gandalf's earth-eating strides and passing him up as he skidded to a stop atop a crest in the valley, his eyes searching desperately along the area before landing on a crumble of rocks all clustered together as if leaning into each other for support.

"What are you looking for?" I asked, half desperate to be of some assistance as the others caught up, Fili's blonde hair glinting like gold as he took up a position at the edge. They had made a feeble circle around the rock that Gandalf had all but trapped us into.

The wizard searched desperately along the mossy rock, his staff tap, tap, tapping against the stone. His eyes flicked to me briefly before he shook his head, bending down and diving between two of them. "You wouldn't like the answer, Madame dwarf."

I snarled, almost yanking him back by the scruff of his hood as Thorin gave a cry and the sound of weapons being drawn filled the air. And then approaching quickly, the chomping of teeth and yells of black speech. "Your secrets will end us, you stubborn, old bat."

A voice stuttered out from deep between the rocks, harrumphing indignantly. " _Old_?"

"WE'RE SURROUNDED!" Fili screamed. I whipped around. I didn't have time to play his feeble games. If we were to die then I at least would do so with a blade in my hands.

"TORI!" Nori called and I turned just in time to catch a long, wickedly curved blade. I stared down at it dumbly for a moment. It was ridiculously light, barely a wisp of a thing with a whip of elven letters running from hilt to tip. I nearly dropped it right then and there.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!" I screamed indignantly, adjusting my grip as I took a ready stance between Bofur and Gloin and feeling an answering zing of pain as I tightened my fingers around the hilt. The thing felt foreign in my hands, making me feel disjointed and awkward in a way that was highly unnerving considering that a snarling warg had just crested the hill in front of me.

"IT WAS ALL I COULD FIND!" Nori called back. Angry and unnerved, I yanked out the small dagger from my boot, feeling a fraction better to have two weapons in my grip, even if one was making my hand feel like it was being stomped on by a million horses.

Gloin gave a resentful roar as the warg stalked a bit closer, his ax slashing out with a brutality that nearly cut straight through its shoulder and into its chest. I lurched forward, finishing it off by driving my sword into the soft underside of its jaw. Blood splattered across my arm, soaking through my bandages as I jerked it free.

"HOLD YOUR GROUND!" Thorin roared and there was a finality there that made my heart sink. For a moment, my eyes strayed to the side before I forced them back to the open plains in front of me. I resisted the overwhelming urge to look for my brothers or Fili. My jaw set against the agony of having to stay still, keeping my eyes where they needed to be.

" _Baruk Khazâd!_ " Gloin roared, his hand reaching for a moment into his vest and clutching tight to something before he was steadying himself.

" _Khazâd ai-mênu_!" Bofur and I finished, a deep sense of dread sinking into my bones as I watched three more riders and their mounts stalk across the grass in front of me, somehow looking immensely smug as they neared.

The howling grew to a crescendo.

"THIS WAY, YOU FOOLS!" Gandalf roared from somewhere behind me. I gulped as the wargs in front of us stilled for a moment, catching sight of whatever Gandalf had found before leaping forward.

The sound of the rest of the others retreating filled my ears moments before the wargs were on me.

" _Mahal_ ," Bofur cursed softly as I rolled, biting down on a yell as I felt the brush of the wargs underbelly sailing over me moments before I slashed my sword up and held as it cut it's stomach clean open.

Beside me, two identical cries of wargs dying brutal deaths echoed.

"TORI!" Fili growled as I stumbled to my feet. Gloin and Bofur were already darting toward the rock entrance, the wargs creeping closer as they saw us disappearing quickly within the cave. Shakily, I slipped my sword into the belt at my back, starting for Fili.

Thorin stood just at the entrance, his sword drawn and his teeth flashing in a snarl as he took out any warg or orc that drifted a bit too close to the entryway. My legs almost gave out as I forced any remaining strength into my last, desperate dash. I didn't slow down, Fili's arms yanking me into his chest as we tumbled down, down into the dark, chill of a rock cave.

He gave a grunt as we slid down, slamming into a rock wall as he turned, taking the brunt of the stop in his back. I gulped in a breath, my legs tangled up in his. Slowly, his eyes blinked down at me, a small smirk tugging at his lips. "Hello."

A rush of relief and happiness burst through my chest - a completely irrational rush of emotion since I could still hear the wargs just above. But I couldn't help it, my fingers curling into the downy fur of his jacket. An irrational smile curled my lips. "Hello."

The moment was short-lived.

Someone's body slammed into my back, making Fili and I gasp as a thick layer of dust sprayed over us. Kili gave a grunt, his body all but on top of us as he shook out his curls and gave a goofy smile. "Nice to be alive, aye?"

Fili snarled, kicking at him. "Get off, you oaf."

Before he could, however, another body came rolling down the chute, slamming into Kili who in turn landed on top of us again. I groaned, my arm definitely screaming in agony as I waited for Thorin to get up, his face pulled into an expression of bored regality. Looking around imperiously, he straightened his coat.

"You two are cute," Kili whispered conspiratorially giving me a wink as he leveled himself off.

Fili almost tackled me again as he tried to strangle him, his teeth bared in a snarl that resembled Thorin's as he had faced down the wargs only moments before.

"Good." Fili helped me up with a practiced grace, his eyes still glued to his brother as they whispered violently to each other in khuzdul. Dori looked me over with a critical eye, straightening some of my braids. "You didn't do anything stupid."

I let out a huff, wincing as Ori fretted over my bandaged arm. "Are those the standards?"

"If we had high ones then they would be useless now wouldn't they?" Nori said matter of factly. A great roar broke through the air above, echoing down to us.

My eyes narrowed, my breath stalling for a moment as I turned my full attention to the daylight filtering down to us. "What-"

A horn blared moments before a warg and orc rider toppled through the entrance, landing in a tumble into the middle of the group. I gaped, catching sight of an arrow protruding crudely from its chest. Dead, obviously dead. But…

Thorin ripped it out, his eyes narrowing as he scanned over the arrowhead before he let out a disgusted snarl, his eyes immediately lasering in on where Gandalf stood. "Elves."

I slunk to the wall, my stomach turning as my brothers shuffled a bit closer, their expressions guarded. A step away, Fili's eyes tried to catch my eyes but I avoided him, dep insecurity rising up like a wave. I flinched back as Nori's eyes caught mine, his hand reaching out to squeeze my shoulder.

So many years ago, there had been a reason why I had left the Blue Mountains and over the time that I had been gone, I suppose that I had convinced myself that it was to see the wide world beyond. But now, standing in this small enclosure, staring down at an orc who had been killed by an elf - and know, dreading that that elf and I might meet and that they could know something, anything about my parents - I flinched, my stomach turning.

Cotton filled my longs, making it hard for me to breath, something like panic making my skin itch. Suddenly, all the things that made me different came roaring to the forefront. I could feel the frailty in my arms and legs. I remembered all those times that Dwalin had forced me to spar with other children, how easily they had knocked me down. I flinched away from Fili's stare. Even he had at one point - regardless on whatever madness had overtaken him in my absence.

"I cannot see where the pathway leads," Dwalin shouted and it was then that I realized that the cave had an exit, a thin little pathway cut out of the rocks that cut sharply out of sight. Sweat dampened my neck. "Do we follow it?"

 _Don't_ , my mind screamed.

"Tori, you don't look too well," Ori was murmuring to me, his fingers flitting along my sweaty nape, the lack of color seeping into my lips. I didn't answer him, my stomach giving a threatening roll as Bofur yelled for Dwalin to follow the bend and the others hurried after.

"This isn't a good idea," I heard Nori whispering urgently to Dori but I wasn't paying them any attention, my feet dragging along the stone pathway as if I was floating along within a dream. A deep sort of hatred beat hotly beneath my breast - the hatred that only someone who's been cut off from their heritage can only know. I felt it like the beat of a dozen birds, raging and pecking at my ribs. I hated them and yet I yearned to be with them. "She's only seen elves in passing - never spoken to one. She's not prepared-"

Daylight hit my face, soft and sure as I rounded the corner. My mind spun dully as my eyes caught on the gentle spires of stone, the graceful arches that made up the stone walls. Water streamed from the mountains surrounding it, the town snuggled into the curve of a great river. It was lovely and peaceful in a way that made angry tears prick at my eyes. Did they know about my parents? Was one of them right there, living quietly in that delicate beauty while I had been left to die on the outskirts of some mortal hovel? When I had been born had either of them struggled with the decision? Or had they agreed instantly?

"Lady Tori." I blinked, shocked at the feel of tears as they slid down my cheeks, the way that my lips trembled. Bilbo stood beside me, his face blurred but concerned. "My lady, do you - are you quite alright?"

I didn't answer him, feeling raw and ashamed as the others turned towards me. I hated them. I hated this place. I hated the reminder, the ache in my own skin as every breath of air against the points of my ears reminded me that I was _different_. And then there was Fili and Thorin - Oh Mahal, I couldn't look at them. Their faces were too open, too wide with pity like gaping holes that might swallow me.

"Why did you bring us here?" My voice rang, piercing across the massive expanse of air as I whirled to Gandalf, my teeth bare even as I felt more tears force their way out.

"Tori darling-" I shook off my brother's grip, taking a step toward the towering figure of the wizard, his eyes sad in a way that made me want to tear my skin off.

Slowly, his mouth opened but before he could say anything Thorin cut him off. "This was your plan. To seek refuge with our enemies."

I flinched, my breath hitching at the declaration. Yes. Enemy. All elves were enemies to Durin's folk.

"Stop," Fili snarled, suddenly, fiercely, his eyes blazing as he picked his way toward me. His face was pulled into an expression of rage, his brows drawing together. "You forget yourself."

A moment of stiff silence filled the air as the uncle and nephew stared at each other, both of them mighty in their own ways. Like a lion raising against a panther. Finally, Thorin relented, his head tipping down in a silent consent.

"I am sorry, Tori," Thorin murmured, his eyes considering as they ran over me. "I didn't think before I spoke." I blinked, taken aback. He - the king had just apologized… to me. I gaped. With barely more than a final nod, Thorin turned back to Gandalf. "Do you really think that they will give us their blessing? They will try to stop us."

Gandalf scoffed. "Of course they will but we have questions that need answered." My insides churned once more, my gaze darting between Thorin and Gandalf skittishly. For once, I wished that Thorin was correct. I wanted to stay in Rivendell even less than I wanted to see orcs again. "If we are to be successful, this will need to be handled with tact. And respect. And no small degree of charm." His eyes snapped between Thorin and I which was more of an honor than I thought I would be given. To think that I was a threat to our peaceful greeting and expulsion from the elves to the level of our king was high praise. "Which is why you will leave the talking to me."

And with a final haughty tip of his chin, Gandalf swung away.

* * *

_Ah, the days are starting to go by slower and slower! The first week was cool but I'm the type of person that needs to get out and run and do work and kind of scrunch my time to feel comfortable. IT'S DRIVING ME CRAZY, GUYS!_

_How are you guys doing? What are you doing to pass the time? I feel a bit like that show on netflix where you're put in a room and they drop you off a box of crayons and some coloring books to get you by. It's like... The Circle? Is that right? Anyway, leave me a review! I love hearing from you guys._


	13. A Short Rest

Which was more disconcerting, I wondered as we made our way closer and closer to the disgustingly beautiful spires of Rivendell, that Thorin had suddenly grown a conscience in regards to my plight? Or that I was about to step foot into the land of the elves? Both seemed like deceptively merry prospects. On one hand, I was gaining my lord's consideration. On the other hand, I was stepping foot into what could possibly be the answers to all my questions about my birth parents.

Like a window dressed up with a flower box, blue shutters open to the world, pretty and welcoming. But behind that window was a home and what that home held could either be wonderful or horrible. And in my experience things that were beautiful were often rotten.

What had led to Thorin's change of heart? There had been one point in my life when every time I entered a room, it had been to utter silence. I would eat my meals with my brothers or alone in the mountains. _Half-breed. Elf-scum. Trash._ All names whispered, so vile that even when they were being tossed around, the ones that spit them looked frightened. Frightened of what it made them when they said it to me.

Had I blamed Thorin for the hatred that tinged my childhood?

Maybe.

Because if anyone were to stop it, it would have been him. Yes. He had a hatred for me. I could see it in the darkening of his eyes, the sneer that tipped his lips whenever I would stumble during weapon's training.

And even when I knelt before him, bruised and filthy from days of Dwalin honing both my elven abilities and my dwarven ones, even as I pledged my life to his cause, I hated him as well. Deep, deep within _I hated him_.

This burning, crushing hatred was something that we had in common, something that bonded us in a twisted sort of torture. Because as I hated him, I also hated the elf that had made me. And when you hate one nameless, faceless elf they eventually become every one that you see.

And so as we made our way closer and closer to Rivendell, following a steep trail that led down from the mountainous enclosure that we had dropped into, I found myself choking on the emotions that were rising inside of me. Like I had been herded into a trap and now I was stuck the back walls closing in on me.

"She mentioned some elves in her letters, Nori," Dori was saying from behind me, his voice hushed but in the near silence of the valley, it was hard to miss it. Up ahead, I saw Oin and Gloin glancing back in curious intervals, their faces pulled tense with both exasperation and pity. "Surely in all that time-"

"We stuck to the goblin holes, thank you very much," Nori snapped, sniffing and I could almost see the indignant tilt to his chin. In front of me, Fili glanced back, his eyes crinkling with worry. He had all but leaped to be in front of me, taking the rocky pathway at a considerate stride. Against his back, his dual swords beat against his shoulder blades with his steady footsteps. "Do ye think that I wanted to go sharing a biscuit with any of those goody-two-shoes? I'm still Durin's folks for the love of Aule… Besides every time we came near any of their kind Tori would get this odd expression on her face. Like her insides were being torn out-"

"Like she wanted to kill someone?" I heard Ori pitch in quietly and it took all of my will power to not turn around and do something that I would regret later. Like kill _them_.

"Yes… We really shouldn't let her-" I whirled, all three of my brothers stumbling into each other with a serious of yelps. I couldn't stand their incessant chatter for another moment. If they asked me how I was doing or whether I wanted to leave or any other of their gossipy nonsense than I was going to shove my sword so far up their asses that they would be coughing up metal scraps for a week.

"Shut it," I snarled, my teeth flashing in rabid rage as I jammed a finger into their faces threateningly. Nori and Dori both grimaced, their expressions ones of mild shame as well as a heavy set of concern. Behind them, Ori twiddled with the straps of his satchel, his cheeks going a rosy red. "Do you hear me? I am _fine_. Or more accurately, I will be fine once my idiot brothers stop spreading my business about the others-"

Dori bulked, his chest puffing up at the accusation. Even Nori looked a bit miffed. "Now, Tori, you can hardly call us talking about your well-being-"

"When you sound like a lot of calling birds, I very well can," I growled, taking a menacing step towards them. "Stop talking about it, okay? They're just elves."

I was ashamed to admit that my voice faltered on that last bit. Because this wasn't just elves. For the rest of the group, these were enemies of Durin. For me, these were enemies of Durin with the added layer of being a sad, bitter remembrance to when my parents had thrown me away like trash.

Maybe I should have been mad at the dwarves as well, after all it took two races to make a creature like me. But that was the twisted part, wasn't it? Because even though I had been treated unfairly by dwarves in the past, I had somehow shifted all the blame onto the elves. Because at least the people of Durin had given me a home. At least they hadn't left me to rot away outside of that village.

And so, I loved them. Because of the actions of my brother's I forgave them. The elves never even really had a chance. They were playing against odds that they couldn't win with.

Nori batted at my finger, opening his mouth as he geared up for a battle but I couldn't do it. I shook my head, horrified at the quiver in my own voice. "Please."

I didn't wait for their reply. The look of pain and sadness that broke across their faces was enough for me.

" _Halawal_." I blinked, having completely forgotten that Fili was still in front of me. I blushed. And close enough to hear every word of what had just happened.

His eyes were heavy, weighing in the dusk light, a perfect shade of ice blue to send a chilly zing down my spine. Dumbly, unsure, I stared at him until he reached out a hand and the only choice I had was to step into his arms as he lifted me down from a particularly steep dip in the road.

"Thank you," I whispered, tearing away from the depths of his eyes to stare rather hard at the tick of a muscle in his neck. Beneath the gentle weight of his leathers and furs, his arms were strong and lean an obvious representation of how many years he had spent in the mines and weapons room.

He didn't release me, his head tipping to the side as he tried to catch my eyes. "Are you really fine?"

My cheeks flamed, stubborn anger filling me. "Why do people keep asking me that? Of course, I'm fine. I-"

The scrape of his fingers running along my cheek, pushing away the wild mass of reddish curls that had fallen into my face brings my words to a halt. His eyes are gentle when I finally look up, a sad smile curling his lips as his blonde hair and beads clink together in the wind. "Fine. It's fine. You don't have to explain it to me."

And with that, he brings a few of my curls to his lips and closes his eyes as he kisses them before turning away. My mind reels as I watch him make his way after the others, his stride confident. And for a blissful, aching moment I'm not thinking about the elves or my parents or the hell that I'm about to walk into. I'm thinking about the strong slope of his shoulders, the drowning depths of his eyes and what it would feel like to press my lips-

"He's rather _attentive_ , now isn't he?" I jerk, the thought tearing off jaggedly as all three of my brothers sidle up to me. Dori's cheeks and nose are red from the dewy air that the valley is filled with, his eyes snapping as they jump from Fili to me and then back again.

Nori grunts, his eyes fully focused on Fili's back with the force of a well-intended arrow. "If he had gotten any closer to her, he would have had to be attending something else in the southern-"

"Stop that," I hissed, swatting at them both as my cheeks flamed. I huffed out a breath, turning away rigidly as I hurried to catch up with the tail of the party. "You three are absolutely insufferable today."

"I didn't even say anything," I heard Ori murmur mournfully.

The entry to Rivendell was elaborate, to say the least. There seemed to be a permanent dusky light that made everything seem cozy and soft. The waterfall that I had seen when we had first rounded the corner subsided somewhere in the distance to a babbling stream. Gently our pathway was eaten away by stonework. I eyed it with open criticism, thinking that they could have used a few crystallized stones to spruce up the outer edges instead of leaving it all a drab gray.

In all honesty, I was probably picking at that part.

Fili's hand found my waist as he kept a watchful eye on the road ahead. Although the route behind allowed for no more than one person with its width, once we neared the bridge that would take up to the entrance of Rivendell, the path became chunkier. Dutifully, the others filed by two as we crossed the stream below. The smell of fresh spring water and honey drifted to me, everything seeming light and beautiful in this place.

I didn't trust it.

Up ahead, I could see the stiff tilt of Thorin's shoulders as he kept stride with Gandalf. At least, I could trust in his disdain.

Not only was the place beautiful but it also seemed to be positioned strategically so that the waterfall and subsequent body of water circled it, making any who would think to intrude either filter through the one bridge or take the time to try and get across the divide. Two surly-looking elves dressed in full battle armor and spears stood tall on either side of the bridge, just before the area rounded out and then gave way to a series of steps and guard posts. Their prim, stone faces stared disdainfully down at us from their perches.

Up ahead, Kili gave a spin, his face open and drawn into an expression of wonder. He seemed to be the only one. Beside me, Fili's face had deepened into a resigned scowl. Everyone else had much the same expressions, their hands running along their weapons uneasily.

Just at the back, the young hobbit gave a soft exhale, his eyes widening as they ran along the intricate stonework and rivers.

"If they give him any more to gawk at, he'll be staying here," Fili grumbled, his words soft but with enough bite to tune me into the fact that he was still a little uneasy about having the hobbit along with us.

Nori skittered past before I could form a reply, his expression one of immense agitation as my brothers circled, winding around the area with equal parts unease and severe distaste. They hated that they were at the mercy of elves. I couldn't say that I quite blamed them.

"Do you think this is some sort of power-play?" I mused as my eyes crept up the flights of stairs, past the two elves guarding it and to the guard post. I hadn't seen so much as a movement from them since we had arrived, certainly no words of assurance or comfort. "Make us titter about nervously before they deem us fit to look upon them?"

Fili's eyes sparked with mirth. "From what I hear they just have the personalities of pin-cushions. I'm sure our lack of reception has something to do with that."

"Mithrandir!" A smooth, crisp voice carried across the courtyard.

The change was almost immediate. Instantly, my brother's snapped back to the center of the platform, all of us scrunching together like a cluster of grapes. All talking stopped, every dwarves' attention caught by the slim figure that was making his way gracefully down the stairs. His hair was a deep brown, his face smooth and flawless in a delicate sort of way. Nothing like the hard, chunky planes that made up a dwarves' face.

My heart ran a shade cooler as I caught sight of the tips of his ears, my attention uncomfortable focused on that similarity. There was the gentle slope of his nose, the tipping of his eyes. Fortunately, my face rounded out, giving way to my dwarvish blood. My brothers had called me exotic, unusual like a new fruit or animal. They had been being kind. What they meant, I thought with no short amount of self-loathing was that I was outlandish.

"Ah, Lindir," Gandalf said warmly and I watched with a sort of distant bitterness as they switched from the common tongue and to elvish.

Thorin whispered something to Dwalin, his eyes taking in the interaction with a ravenous sort of interest.

"Breathe." I blinked, startled to realize that I leaned forward and stopped breathing. Fili's eyes were still adamantly forward, his fingers flicking along the dagger at his belt even as he spoke to me. "Just breathe, _halawal_."

Stiffly, I straightened, settling back into myself with the tenseness of a child about to play a team sport. The piercing call of a horn stopped me from embarrassing myself any further along with the clatter of hooves on stone. If there was one thing to be said about dwarves it was that we didn't like to be around full-grown horses. We barely cleared their legs, leaving us at a severe disadvantage.

A disadvantage that the elves were fully taking pleasure in.

They were on us before we could fully do anything more than draw our weapons. The last thing I saw before Fili was hauling behind him with a enraged growl was Gandaulf's smile slipping from his lips.

"CLOSE RANKS!" Thorin shouted, an order done more for the benefit of the dreamy-eyed Bilbo and Kili than anyone else. My brother's and Fili crowded me in before I could even fumble with the straps of my axes before realizing belatedly that I now had a sword which was situated at my waist.

By that point, I was already squashed in the middle of a bunch of smelly dwarves, my back against Ori's back and my front pressed to Fili's. His dagger glinted lowly in the light, one hand reaching back to touch at my hand as if to reassure himself that I hadn't squirmed my way out.

"I can fight," I snarled defiantly, enraged as I saw his head tipped to the side but that his hand pushed me back again as I tried to go forward to his side.

Nori was the one who answered me, his pike in his hands as the elves wheeled their mounts around, the horses snorting madly. "Not with that hand, you aren't."

I spluttered, growing more and more agitated and Fili continued to push me back, his hand gentle but firm as he kept me boxed in. "How dare you-"

"I'm afraid he's right, dearie," Dori chirped, his voice falsely cheery from the other side of Nori. "You'll be best suited in the middle."

I growled, resisting the urge to throw a tantrum like a child. I hated being useless. And I hated that I couldn't even draw my blade for fear that it would get in the way and stab someone if the dwarves around me needed to step back.

Snarling, raging I wheeled, my arms crossed angrily over my chest to find both Bilbo and Ori safely in the center of the others as well, each looking like little lambs in the middle of a parental ring. Ori eyed me dolefully, his eyes wide as he gave me a tentative smile. "Cool kids club?"

Bilbo scuttled a little closer, his fingers working nervously at his bag straps. "I feel quite cozy in here if I do say so myself. Very swaddled."

Ori hummed. "Coddled even. Like a babe."

"Yes. Very nice-"

I howled, leaping around and meeting the resistance of Fili's hand as I all but collided with his back. The horses had stopped their merry-go-round, keeping us caged together like penned animals. Just at the steps, I saw that Thorin and Dwalin had broken off and stepped forward to speak in an aggressively polite hush to a tall, slender elf with dark hair, his armor shiny and stiff in the dusk light.

"You're acting like a child, _halawal_ ," Fili chided softly, his eyes never leaving the elves surrounding us even as he batted at me as I swiped at his hand.

"I am not to be protected," I snapped defiantly and for the first time since we had entered Rivendell, his eyes slipped to me.

There was something there in the stormy oceans of his eyes, the softening mixed with something else - something deeper and more heated that made me go still. "Oh, I highly disagree with that statement."

The gentle raising of a voice drew all of our attention at once. It was the regal one, his eyes intent on Thorin but his voice pitched in a way that made me think that he was speaking to the group at large.

However, if he thought that we spoke elvish than he had severely underestimated how much we hated elves in general.

"What is he sayin'?" Gloin roared, his voice shaking with the resistance to open violence. "DOES HE OFFER US INSULT?!"

Beside me, Fili growled, his teeth baring in a snarl that made him resemble a beast more than a young prince. His fist had bled to white around his dagger, his hand flashing to the hilt of his sword at his back. Around us the elves watched, their expressions ones of deadly calm.

All around me, the other dwarves snarled, stiffening at the prospect of battle.

From the self-satisfied smile that Gandalf currently had on, I was rather under the impression that insult might have been a bit off the mark. "No, Master Gloin. He offers you food."

Food. The second thing to know about dwarves was that we were much like hobbits when it came to food, just without the posh flare. We snacked. We plundered. And we generally cleaned our plates within a minute and a half. There were no napkins. No doilies. And certainly, very little fanfare when it came to the plates that a meal was presented on. A good, hearty roast was the best way to win a dwarven friend.

And apparently the lord of Rivendell knew this rather well.

Within seconds, all assembled were making their way up the stairs (which were built to the height of elves and wizards so a particular challenge to lunge up) and on to the dining facilities.

"Miss." I didn't stop, taking the title as a call to the wind instead of myself. Fili seemed just inclined to keep going, his hand tightening on my waist as we reached the first landing.

"Miss Tori." I cursed softly beneath my breath, watching as the other dwarves hurried by, too excited about the prospect of a good meal to pay me any mind. My brothers had been the first to hop along, already past the guard post and going fast by the minute. Grumbling something in khuzdul under his breath, Fili twisted around, his shoulders tense, his fingers still gripping his dagger. Slowly, glumly I turned, thoroughly unhappy at the sight of both the slender elf and Gandalf as they gazed down at me, a knowing smile playing on the ladder's lips. "I thought for a moment that you might not have heard us." He waited for a response for a moment. I didn't give him one. "Lord Elrond noticed you and I thought it might be remiss if I didn't introduce you."

"It's very nice to meet you, my lady," Elrond said smoothly but his eyes were moving over me with a sort of ravenous interest, his brows furrowing as if he wasn't sure what he was seeing. I'm sure it had been many years since he saw something that confused him. My nails bit into the palm of my hands.

Fili stood stock still beside me, his eyes catlike as they ran over the elf lord. I recognized that look. He had it every time he went into a sparring match when we were children. Like he were picking apart every weak spot and debating when to sink his sword into it. I also knew that my the way his jaw tightened, he wouldn't be speaking in this exchange unless I asked him to.

My eyes roamed to Gandalf for a moment watching the way that his eyes drifted between Elrond and me. I knew the tales well enough to understand that look. The old bat was a meddler through and through and enjoyed mucking around in others' lives.

The glare that I focused on the elf only seemed to intrigue him more, his hands clasping behind his back as he leaned a little closer to me. "Well, we have been introduced then. If I may be on my way-"

"I've met many dwarven females, you know," Elrond cut me off, his voice polite even as his words cut me to the core. If possible, Fili stiffened, even more, his eyes blazing a hot blue. "They look very little as you do."

My teeth ground against each other. The question was there. He was just too polite to ask it. "I'm of dwarf and elven blood. Just to cut to the chase."

At least, he didn't have the audacity to look shocked by this information or even embarrassed that I had caught his open snooping. "Do you know the name-"

"My parents abandoned me on the edge of a town in the hopes that I would starve and die," I snapped, my anger and bitterness nearly knocking me over. My throat tightened reflexively around the words. I hated this. I hated being this weak. And most of all, I hated _them_. "So no, I do not know their names. Although if you have any idea-"

Gandalf's bemused expression had been effectively wiped away, his eyes betraying a wealth of pity and sadness that I thoroughly detested. Beside him, Elrond had reeled back, looking shaken by my words.

"No," he said and even his words held a bit of unease, a bit of astonishment. "Elves do not… That is to say, my kind only has one love and when we are graced with children… We would only give up our children under extreme circumstances. Whether it was through the agony of force or the percept of bringing to life an abomination-" His face shuttered at his own words, his expression growing sullen and pained. As if he realized what he was saying. He bowed his head. "My apologies. I forgot myself."

An abomination. That word twisted and turned inside of my mind, toying with doors that I had kept locked tight. I had run from Erebor to escape that sickening truth. The truth that I was something to be horrified with. My brothers had almost made me forget that. But here was an elf all but saying it. Ugly, cruel words churned in the pit of my stomach.

Fili's low, vicious snarl drew me back to the surface, his teeth bared as he stared up at Elrond with undisguised loathing. "How _dare_ you-"

I held up a hand, taking a breath as Fili just snarled once more, the muscles in his arms bulging as if he was physically restraining himself from lunging at the elf. Slowly, I drew in a breath, meeting Elrond's worried gaze as I forced a smile. "I forgive you."

And then I punched him right in _his_ "little abominations."


End file.
